I don’t want to scold my dad, Vern. After all, he’s in heaven, fishing and soaking up the good life.
However, I got a message last night from Saint Joseph, saying Vern’s staying clear of my mom, Irene, and she’s hanging out in the lonely corner of heaven.
I know the issue. In the last few years of Irene’s earthly presence, she came down with dementia and became verbally abusive to Vern. And, boy, my mom has always been able to turn up the heat when she gets the notion.
Saint Peter missed the complexity of this circumstance while opening the gate for both of them and failed to sprinkle the understanding and forgiveness powder on Vern.
So right before I woke up, I rang up my dad and scolded him for being such a jerk. (Vern never caught on to subtle communication.) “Put down your darn fishing pole and go give your fabulous wife a big hug.”
Saint Joseph reported back that Vern followed my advice, and love is once again in the heavenly skies.
Lesson for us still on earth: For heaven’s sake, always provide love, kindness and understanding to those in need.
Unfriendly skies