DANCING AROUND HEAVEN

"Oh Joy. Would you please come by the house on your way home from work today? That is, if you don't have something pressing." "Doll, I'll be there with bells on. I've been missing you like crazy."

Joy was Sarah's youngest daughter. All of the other three daughters had gotten married and moved away but Joy. She depended on Joy for her advice and for small repairs around the house. Joy was a "handy man" type who always seemed to know how to fix things. But Sarah was careful to respect Joy's privacy and only called her with appropriate periods of time between calls so as not to encourage too much dependence on the part of either one. She saved up the odd jobs until she had enough to warrent a visit. She also invited her for a meal at least once a month.

When Joy arrived, she was full of enthusiasm and energy - especially noticible at the close of her day of work. "You seem to be quite full of spizerinktom' today, Sweetie. Did you get a raise or something?" "No, Hon. If I seem up I guess it's because Sadie is supposed to be back today. You know how I've missed her." "Yes, Joy, you have really got a jewel in Sadie. She has brought you out of a shell that you were in for ten years at least. You know how I feel about her now, don't you? I mean how I really feel?" "Yes, I do Mom, and you don't know how wonderful it makes me feel that you were able to know down deep how one woman can love another in the same way you loved Dad. I think learning that about you brought me out of my doldrums even more than finding Sadie did. It just felt so miserable when I knew that I was homosexual and felt that you couldn't accept me that way. It was the worst feeling that I have ever gone through - in a way even worse than when Dad died."

"Joy, I am so sorry I put you through all of that. But it just seemed so wrong the first time you told me. All I could think about was what would other people say?' and the Bible says that's against God's way'. I wasn't really thinking about you at all." "I know I've heard it before, Mom, but I never tire of it. Would you tell me again what happened that day you changed your mind?"

"Well, Joy, it was the day your Dad started getting worse with his cancer. He had been on hospice for several months and the nurse told him that the changes he was feeling meant he might not have much more time of clear thinking and that be would do well to share anything with us that he wanted to be sure he said before be got too far

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