All you need is love!

A memorial was being held today for a beautiful nine year old girl named Naomi Tyrrell. I came to know her and her amazing family through the pre-k mentoring program in my town which pairs children with special needs with typical peers chosen by the teachers. I LOVE this program and I will tell you more about it at another time.

Naomi succumbed to a horrible monster called Niemann-Pick disease. The best way it was described to me was like MS for children. The people around her watched as her body deteriorated over time until she was a prisoner in her own skin. I hope that they find a cure for diseases like this very soon so that no other family has to endure this torture.

But the reality is that Naomi’s family did have to endure it. They had to stand by, helplessly, and know that they could do nothing to change the outcome for their dear child. It is enough to drive a person literally insane. As I listened to her family talking, a beautiful message was communicated. Naomi’s family has chosen to learn something from this nightmarish experience. They learned to soak in and give away every bit of love they possibly could, for they knew that Naomi’s time on this earth was so limited and frustrating. I am in awe of Lorna, Leon, Olivia, Rebekah, Mary, and all of their loved ones.

Now, I love my family. We fight and yell and disagree, but I cherish them dearly and I know that at the end of the day, these are the people who know me better than anyone possibly could or would even want to. It makes me sad to think of the people out there who take that for granted. So your cousin Frank owes you twenty bucks and you haven’t talked in six months because of it. Really? And your grandmother told you that Aunt Rose was always the pretty one and Aunt Trixie was jealous so they haven’t spoken in decades. Uh, OK. Come on, people!

These petty differences are never worth the trouble. Grudges often go on so long that the people immediately involved don’t even remember how they got started in the first place. If we keep in the anger and resentment for too long it in itself becomes a disease and can kill a family. We have enough real diseases to contend with.

Growing up, we had family meetings when tensions were escalated. These started out as bitch-sessions with at least two of us complaining and yelling about how they felt wronged. By the end of the “meeting”, we were all crying, hugging and laughing. Apparently, it turned out that we just missed each other.

My thought for today is this—Love your brother. Or sister. Or mother, father, aunt, uncle, pet lizard; anyone whom you consider your family. Arguments happen, but yelling it out beats years of silence. Our time together truly is fleeting. I believe that the people around us are some of the greatest gifts we are given and it is so very sad to lose one of them. I will dearly miss Naomi. She has taught me so much and shared her short life with so many. It is hard enough to lose a loved one to a disease of the body. We don’t need to lose any more to the diseases of the ego.