about the words and experiences of people as they leave this world. What made me cry was that the last words spoken by Steve Jobs were among the ones my mother spoke as she lay seeping out of her withered
frame.
She and Steve never met. Conversation would have been choppy, since my mother could barely retrieve email and he was not a regular at Sunday School. Steve was a visionary with IPhones, while Mom poured her life into introducing children to Noah and Moses. Yet in spite of this, it seems the impact of stepping into eternity was awe inspiring for both. It makes time on this planet seem like a dress rehearsal. You need rehearsals,
to bang out the lines and choreography, memorize songs and blocking. But who would be content to cancel the show before opening night?
Marriage is one of the roles we play. Some of the time it feels like a dialogue we have been handed, that may or may not feel authentic. When John leaves for barbershop the words "Have a good time," are scripted. Back when the kids were little and ornery what I would rather have said was "Stay home and help me put these rascals to
bed!" But I said what I was supposed to, and now the feelings mirror the words more closely. I have stepped into the part.
What I hope is that the repetitive practice of generosity and forgiveness will grow on me, such that when it is my turn to see the curtain rise I will know the words and dances by heart.
