HOW GOD CHOOSES:He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a child with diabetes."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly", smiles God. "Could I give child with diabetes to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel".

"But has she the patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I am going to give her has her own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps. "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she cannot separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with less than perfect." "She does not realize it yet, but she is to be envied. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see .... ignorance, cruelty, prejudice ... and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as if she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid air. God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

An elephant named Zoo

Boys,

Remember the blind men and the elephant? You can read it below.
[insert my elephant/lighthouse]

I want you to imagine yourself holding the tail of our elephant named Zoo (rhymes with dough). In Japanese, zoo means elephant or phenomenon. What exactly is a phenomenon?

phe·nom·e·non fəˈnäməˌnän,-nən/ noun
1. a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, esp. one whose cause or explanation is in question.
"glaciers are unique and interesting natural phenomena"
synonyms: occurrence, event, happening, fact, situation, circumstance,experience, case, incident, episode More
2. PHILOSOPHY -- the object of a person's perception; what the senses or the mind notice.

Zoo seems like an excellent name for the elephant in our analogy!

Boys, you are spending a lot of time holding Zoo's tail and it STINKS! You are standing there trying to isolate that uniquely elephant aroma that is all around you. You are poorly dodging disgusting not-actually-mud slides. You are stepping in 'it' which spreads it out and then your brothers are getting it on their shoes ... and the bottom of their pants. And how did you get it in your hair?!

You are 12! You only see Zoo's tail right now. Think about how much you have changed over the years. Do you think you are going to be the same person in 2020 as you are now? To be alive you have to grow. Literally. It's one of the 7 characteristics required to define "life". 

To what end do you keep holding onto Zoo's stinky rope-like tail rather than grasp the hand trying to guide you around her rather gargantuan butt and over to her side where you can relish in the awesomeness of her wall-like size?

I'm kinda tired of studying the tail end of Zoo. I'd like to show you her trunk-like legs and snake-like trunk.

You've had to deal with some stuff that just isn't 'fair' and I know how discouraging that can be. I can see you guys are on the verge of greatness! We've got our priorities set. We know our jobs. We are learning the rules like a pro so that we can later break them like an artist.

Artistry is where it is at! When you have experienced the spear-like tusks and fan-like ear you will still not know everything there is to know about Zoo, but you will begin to get a glimpse of the bigger picture and it's hard not to be excited once you realize how awesome that bigger picture is!

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I. It was six men of Hindustan 

To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind

II. The First approached the Elephant,

And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me!-but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

III. The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried: "Ho!-what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me't is mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

IV. The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

V. The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

VI. The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

VII. The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

VIII. And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL: So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

GAMBATTE!

-mom