No Tears (or algebra or migraines) in Heaven
School is hard. I can't imagine at this point in my life having to master history, English, Algebra, science and who knows what else all at the same time. I'm so glad I'm not 14, or 17. The beauty of college and then graduate studies is that we gradually narrow our focus more and more -- it gets easier. One part of me enjoys helping my kids with their homework because I relearn things I forgot years ago. But another part of me says, "I can't believe they have this much stuff on a history test in the 8th grade!" Tonight, I relearned the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan and Madison's compromise. That was fun, and not so hard. But algebra is hard. For that, I hired a tutor.
Life is hard, too. Those T-shirts that say, "Life is hard, and then you die," have always annoyed me. Of course, they're right -- maybe that's why they annoy me. Life IS hard. And then we die. But that's the good news. The next life is better. Believing that makes all the hard parts of this one more bearable. Life is hard. Algebra is hard. MIgraines are hard. When the pain analogies alternate between sledge hammer and vice grip, even the metaphor is hard. When the vertigo hits, the tile floor is hard.
I've never been a weeper. But I still love that old song, "No Tears in Heaven." In part, because the alto line is great.
"No tears in heaven.
No sorrows given.
All will be glory in that land.
There'll be no sadness
All will be gladness,
when we shall join that happy band."
"No tears in Heaven fair.
No tears, no tears up there.
Sorrow and pain will all have flown.
No tears in Heaven fair.
No tears. no tears up there.
No tears in heaven will be known."
( Lyrics by Robert S. Arnold [Public Domain])
Aside from the irony of how many times I sang that song in churches that would have no part of any happy band in this life, that old song still says something important to remember about the next one. No algebra in Heaven. No migraines in Heaven. No vertigo in Heaven. Sorrow and pain will all have flown. Praise God.
Life is hard, too. Those T-shirts that say, "Life is hard, and then you die," have always annoyed me. Of course, they're right -- maybe that's why they annoy me. Life IS hard. And then we die. But that's the good news. The next life is better. Believing that makes all the hard parts of this one more bearable. Life is hard. Algebra is hard. MIgraines are hard. When the pain analogies alternate between sledge hammer and vice grip, even the metaphor is hard. When the vertigo hits, the tile floor is hard.
I've never been a weeper. But I still love that old song, "No Tears in Heaven." In part, because the alto line is great.
"No tears in heaven.
No sorrows given.
All will be glory in that land.
There'll be no sadness
All will be gladness,
when we shall join that happy band."
"No tears in Heaven fair.
No tears, no tears up there.
Sorrow and pain will all have flown.
No tears in Heaven fair.
No tears. no tears up there.
No tears in heaven will be known."
( Lyrics by Robert S. Arnold [Public Domain])
Aside from the irony of how many times I sang that song in churches that would have no part of any happy band in this life, that old song still says something important to remember about the next one. No algebra in Heaven. No migraines in Heaven. No vertigo in Heaven. Sorrow and pain will all have flown. Praise God.
posted by Cheryl | 10:26 PM
2 Comments:
Reading your writing is like eating a really good piece of dark chocolate. Even when the topic hard, it's still absolutely delicious.
Consider me Forrest Gump, and this blog, my box of chocolates -- I'll just never know what I'm going to get.
I just realized that a side bonus of this might be I won't need real chocolate, in which case I should run, not walk to Weight Watchers!
I remember those days struggling with homework that I didn't quite remember how to do--the good news was when I went back to school for a Master's in computer science my third grade daughter taught me binary arithmetic!
I, too, like that old song and although I sing in the choir (alto) in St. Barnabas now, an Episcopal church with many versicles and canticles I remember church camp and great, old songs.
And, while I guess the next life will be better--and knowing that helps----sometimes don't you just want THIS life to be better, like NOW?
Not that I have much to complain about these days--after surviving a near-death experience, life looks pretty good to me.
And Sherri is right--I find your writing easy to read.
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