As the World Turns

At 9:00pm, the phone rings and startles both Greg and I. No one ever calls that late at night and if they ever do, it is usually not good news. It was my father-in-law and I knew there was something wrong when Greg said "Really? When?" Then the conversation went on for about 30 minutes and some more comments were made. As it turns out, one of Greg's uncles was admitted to the county hospital. It took me a minute because, being a transplant from New York, I don't know the areas very well but I had never heard of the county hospital. Gee, you would think I know every hospital around here given Greg's health. I think it was the empty look on my face that had Greg pipe in: "That is the mental hospital". What? Wait a minute! Did he say his uncle or my uncle? I could understand if it were someone in my family given the mental health problems of some of the family members but his family was "normal" and his uncle was a laid back individual and always smiled.

Sadly, it is his uncle and this is not the first time it has happened. What could make him have a mental breakdown - having a couple of kids with cystic fibrosis, a high stress job, two of his brother-in-laws who died within a year of each other from cancer, or a sister-in-law that was diagnosed breast cancer shortly after? This was not the first time he has been admitted but I do pray it is the last and he is out shortly.

It did make me think though - about how stressful life has become in this world and how needless it is. People are running around in circles and life just gets out of control. I have been to shrinks before and sure, they make you face your problems but they never really help you learn how to deal with them. It is not what life throws at us but our ability to handle it that matters. That is what has kept me off medications and out of a mental hospital myself - I understand that I am in control of how I handle things - just like I expressed in my last blog post. I wish there was a way I could help others see how easy it could be - with some discipline - but I have learned that is not my calling. So, when I can't change the things I want - like helping out people like Greg's uncle - I pray and ask others to pray - for there is true power in prayer.

~Shan
http://www.angelcove.us