Susan Simpson, age 8

Hi

I promise I don't try to be sad and negative all the time. In fact, most of the time, I truly feel happy and blessed. But, yes the way God made me does incline me to be a little morbid, a little on the overly compassionate side. I have been working on not letting every piece of bad news I hear make me crazy with worry. I have been so at peace during my pregnancy that I sometimes feel like its not me carrying this little bundle of joy around. But, and yes there is always a but with me, yesterday I got a call from my friend in Chicago that I haven't talked to in several months that sent me right back into "Oh this world is so sadville". I asked how her summer was going and she said not very good because her three year old goddaughter drowned in her pool in June. I obviously was speechless. I managed to follow my speechlessness up with my sympathies and then we talked about how my friend knew that her goddauugher, Taylor was in heaven. But, that it was just hard, because she wanted her here, quite understandably! We really had a great talk about how she was so thankful for her faith in God and how she has had a lot of support from her family. We went on to talk about other things but obviously that kind of news leaves an impression. I said a prayer for my friend and all involved and then said to myself, "Ok, now leave it, we're not obsessing over this." I have to seriously tell myself things like that or I will start to think about it too much and really what good does that do. I mean, as bad as it might sound, there of plenty of people I do know, who have or are going through bad stuff, I don't need to add complete strangers to the list. So, I moved on.. and then

Today at the park, my nieces, Jessica and Allison came with me along with Aunt Kim to help with Crazy Evil Kinevil aka Matthew. Well, at one point, Allison didn't have Matt in arm's reach and it looked like he came dangerously close to a 10 foot drop,face first falling.I screamed so loud, I think all of Kalamazoo heard me. The panic I felt was so yucky! Later tonight, I said to JEff, what if he had fallen and gotten really badly hurt or worse? He just looked at me and said, " He didn't, so why are you thinking like that?" That is why I love Jeff, always the voice of reason and sanity. I need to think more like that, more like, " Thank God he didn't get hurt or worse"

All of this brings me to the title of my blog, I use to love Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary. I still do and strongly encourage all LITTLE GIRLS TO READ THEM and while we are on subject, also the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE BOOKS but I digress. Anyways, I find myself going back to "Ramona Quimby age 8" whenever I am feeling stressed or sad. I relate so much to her character. A sensitive little girl, who worries about everything, that wants to fit in and does despite what tricks her little mind plays on her. In alot of ways, I think reading those stories remind me of a more innocent time when the worst thing that could happen to you was throwing up in class in front of everyone! The possibility of so much and the eagerness to be an adult that comes with being 8. How ironic that once we've reached that esteemed status of adulthood, we end up longing for the carefree days of childhood.

So, I will say a prayer when I hear something sad but I will not go to bed dwelling on it, I will instead pick up a book and be oh so greatful that I didn't have to live with Laura Ingalls Wilder and endure grasshoppers invading your entire wheat crop and then having to endure the Hard Winter:) Those who have read it, I hope your chuckling!:)