Thursday, September 8, 2011

UNhappy Birthday

"And, Katy, you better not take any kids in our room and let my hampster outta the cage!" warned big sister Kimberly. This was her pre-party instruction while I iced her birthday cake.  Katy loved Sweetie too but she was Kimberly's pet.




Party hats, candles, gifts, streamers and balloons adorned our driveway as the party began in our carport.  Children arrived as adults visited and served.  The joyous sounds were suddenly interrupted with screaming, "KATY!  I TOLD you to stay out!"  Kimberly began to cry as Katy's tears were also cascading down her red cheeks.

"What happened?" I asked.  They took me to their bedroom where I saw the dead hampster in the cage.  

It seems the temptation to introduce Sweetie to a friend lured Katy and Eric into the bedroom, just to peek at the cute furball.  Innocently Eric lifted the cage door when Katy loudly repeated the warning from her sister, "Don't let him out!"  Obediently Eric quickly slammed the cage door down right onto Sweetie's neck. They lifted the door and shoved the lifeless lump of fur back into the cage.  Too little. Too late. Confession followed discovery.

Katy in blue standing behind Eric
(not sure what he's hiding behind his back
and mischievous smile)
Forgiveness and reconciliation between sisters took some time and overshadowed the birthday bash that sad day. Eric remained friends with the girls as did his family with ours.  He and Katy even took swimming lessons together.


Several years later Kimberly was married and Katy in high school when she and Eric attended her Junior Senior banquet, still just friends. Both went their separate ways to different colleges. Katy taught school at her alma mater awhile then married Dave, moved to Canada and had 4 little boys.  


One day though Eric popped up on my facebook radar and I saw he had become a doctor.  He was in scrubs performing surgery. Many greetings of congratulations popped under the comment section.  I joined the fray with a different message:
Eric Eason, pediatric cardiologist

"Eric, do your patients know that before you started saving lives, you were a hampster murderer?"

He quickly denied it, even blaming his sister, Alicia, for creating such a hideous rumor. She shot back a comment accusing him of both Sweetie's death and his false denial.  This was all reminiscent of the long-ago but not forgotten birthday party. Maturity sidesteps sibling rivalry sometimes.  Obviously his funny bone remained intact.

  • Innocence
  • Laying down the law
  • Violation
  • Death
  • Forgiveness
  • Reconciliation
  • Redemption from bringing death to
  • Giving life for and to others


Any of this sound familiar?

Aside from making Eric both the first and second Adam, there may be a few viable parallels here.

On shaky theological ground, but still standing,
Kathy
                                         The saga continues in Comments:

7 comments:

  1. Eric Eason wrote on facebook:

    God save Sweetie.
    ______________
    Kathy Tippett Henderson wrote:

    Too late, but she passed smiling.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Kathy,
    Alicia Eason-Clark (Eric's sister) facebook commented on your link.
    Alicia wrote:
    "All true . Although Eric did go on to try to redeem himself w/ the hampster community by later providing cpr using a straw to try to save his own dying hampster. Whether this was lingering guilt or a glimpse @ the future ....I'll let you judge."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alicia wrote again, adding more fuel to the sibling fire:
    "And yet I have go to another physician for my children's medical care. I think this story explains everything!"
    __________
    Indeed it does, my dear. Wise maternal decision on your part!
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  4. I invited Eric's mom to join in our version here of Family Feud. She facebooked me:

    I tried to remain silent in this. However...I do remember it happening just as you have shared. Eric, coming home from the party and CONFESSING his participation in the death of Sweetie.

    Oops! Guess I just threw my son (the dr. that I love so so much) under the bus. There goes all of Mom's chances of any free medical consults/advice.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And the facebook family feud goes on.

    Eric Eason wrote:

    The guilt of that day haunts me still. Guilt of my inability to keep Sweetie away from the "bright light" and guilt that I may have put a permanent emotional scar on Katy and Kimberly. I suspect I will continue to pay penitence for that fateful day through serving others.

    And Alicia, once again I'm a pediatric cardiologist. Not a pediatric psychologist. I can't help your boys as much as I'd like to =D
    Eric

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alicia Eason-Clark, Eric's sister speaks again:

    If anyone needs psychological services it is the poor Henderson girls as a result of the nightmare they lived through because of your vicious crime. Poor Katy is an accessory to murder. She'll have to tell her children one day!
    2 minutes ago · Like
    ___________
    Kathy Tippett Henderson:
    I just called and told her all about this exposure. She cracked up. Taking their 4 boys fishing today, camping last weekend. . .better than a psychologist. . .or a cardiologist. I-I-I mean, fishing is good for the heart too. (Think Eric's still reading this thread?)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cute story...I'm playing catch up having been out of town for a while.

    ReplyDelete