Ahh Vindication!

The cover of Time magazine caught my eye today. This article proved to make the purchase worthwhile.

Back in 1998 I had to deal with the issue of "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD). It was not my idea of a good time, and changed me forever. As a young mother I was forced to learn that people are ruthless, uncaring, and well, jerks. (Shouldn't have been a newsflash, I know, but it was a newsflash to me.)

Whilst (love that word) researching, digesting, and learning as much as I could about ASD, I came to believe that there were both genetic and environmental components to this "disorder." As I described this to others I would say, "It's like some kids are born with a switch in the 'off' position, and something happens to them to turn that switch on."

Well, it would appear that there is now great evidence to show that is likely the case. A relatively new field of genetics has emerged, "epigenetics." This field argues that, though we cannot alter genomes and pass those alterations to our offspring, we can alter the epigenome, and that change can indeed be passed on to our offspring. The epigenome, for lack of a better analogy, is a switch--or maybe more accurately a volume nob--that can be emphasized or de-emphasized by choices we make in our lives.

It feels good to have "real science" behind a gut instinct. But it is every bit as good a feeling--maybe better--to be in a position that no longer needs the condescending pat on the head.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next several years. I hope I get to see questions answered, peace for families, and quite honestly--I hope to see heads roll.

Pedophilia?

Though I do not order form Victoria's Secret, I received this catalog in the mail today.

This "cover girl" looks 12 years old to me. Am I just at that age where everyone looks like a kid, or is this pushing the envelope?

"Community Intervener"??

Last week, I received a newsletter from state of Hawaii senator Jill Tokuda. One of the articles contained a picture with "Representative Ito, Community Intervener (emphasis mine) Grant Yoshimori, & Senator Tokuda..."

Wow, and I thought "Community Organizer" was the most ridiculous "job" description I had ever heard.

I wonder what other jobs are out there... community pot-stirrer... neighborhood troublemaker....Who knows, these could all lead to the White House one day.

My Friend, Chris

“When all is said (and truly said) about the divisions of Christendom, there remains, by God’s mercy, an enormous common ground.”

C.S. Lewis

That really sums up the Catholic prayer service for my friend, Chris, yesterday. The church was packed with people of all faiths and no faiths. We all loved Chris, and Chris loved the Lord, so there we were.

When Chris and I first started talking bout God, we were new friends. As our conversations grew, I got up the gumption to invite her to a bible study. She dove into the study like a dog after a bone. She devoured the lessons, got extra materials on her own, and came with questions every week. Her faith grew by leaps and bounds. And in that, she and I had several discussions about the Catholic church. We were both reared in Catholic homes--Chris was even fortunate enough to attend parochial school until junior high. I had left the Catholic church and joined a PCA church, and Chris was praying about whether she should also leave the only church she'd known. She made a very thoughtful and prayerful decision to remain a Catholic. She had found a wonderful priest in Father Herman. He became a dear friend and mentor to her as her faith grew.

Our bible study changed much and the "usual suspects" moved away as is always the case in Hawaii. Chris found a bible study at her church and was in a study there until her death. Her faith, once rekindled, never wavered for a minute. Her zeal for drawing closer to God only grew. And when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer a year ago, she referred to it as a blessing, so that she would keep her focus where it ought to be--on Him.

Amazing. Joyful. Thoughtful. Energetic. Tough. Smart. Diligent. Beautiful. Smiling. Sincere. Devoted. BELOVED.

So when all of those people came to St. Ann's church to grieve the loss of our friend, we all sang worship songs together, and prayed the Lord's prayer. And nothing could have been less important than the denominations or lack thereof of anyone. That is who Chris was. She didn't care about anything but what really mattered: Love God. Love people.
Chris excelled at both.

Reflecting a Bit: Part I

This past birthday, I turned 40. It should have been somewhat bigger of a deal, I suppose, but it wasn't. Our culture makes a big deal out of changing decades. I'm not sure why.
One thing that has been happening with me, however, is that I am much more reflective about what I am doing now and what I want to be doing in the future.

Another thing that is different--very different, if you know me at all--is that I notice that I am talking less. In general and in particular. I have fewer opportunities for adult conversation, so that's the general part. In particular, though, I'm finding myself not saying things that are right there on my tongue and ready to go. Some of it is maturity--I'm thinking more before I speak. But a lot of it is a realization that no one really wants to hear what I have to say. Don't get me wrong, I didn't previously believe people wanted to hear me talk. I never thought about it at all. I just had an idea, thought, or opinion and shared it.

Now I have had enough experience to know that no matter how much I want to share my experiences with someone, hoping to steer them away from pitfalls, they don't believe a word I am saying. And if I'm really honest, I was exactly the same. One key difference is that no one tried or is trying to mentor or teach me anything. (Something I still lament.) But to be fair, I probably wouldn't have listened to anyone until about the last 3 years or so.

That's enough reflecting for now...

To Chris