It was a brisk October day in Michigan. We were on our way to a rehearsal for a wedding. In the car with my wife and me was her long time friend Doris. The wedding rehearsal was for her other long time friend Angie. I’ll write about Angie another day. When I mention a second person in a blog I find relief in the fact that there are still nine more months of this journey and many days in each one.
My wife and Doris.
Doris was riding along and this is where it gets fuzzy. Either I noticed the sign or she did. Whichever way it went, we both found it to be hilarious.
I love Doris. I love her with all my heart. Doris is a bleeding heart with a desire to see everyone given a fair shake. Doris fights for equality and gives her life work to that end. She’s a Methodist Deacon but she doesn’t do the work because of the title. She has always been the person to look out for the people.All the people.
Truly her only drawback is that she married a Cubs fan. I’d hold that against her but the fact that Tim is such an amazing man, I’ll cut her some slack.
Before my friend Ken moved back to Thailand to live out his days I was able to get Doris and Ken together, on camera, for the documentary about his life and work.
I sat in the room with a man who’d spent over four decades in Thailand, Singapore and China and my wife’s friend Doris, whose parents live and work in China today. Or is it Hong Kong. Dang it. I always get that confused.
Doris with Ken during of the shoot of the documentary we're still editing.
Doris and Ken spent about an hour talking opening and honestly about struggles with scripture, present day issues and conversations being had OR not being had but should be in the church.
For me, the fly on the way, it was better than I could have ever imagined. At one point Ken asked if he could pray for Doris. She accepted. After Ken’s gentle prayer, the kind you’d expect from a loving grandfather, Doris turned the tables on him. Doris began praying for Ken and it was beautiful. She was crying. He was crying. I looked over at my wife who was crying. I was crying. It was so sweet So pure. So divine.
Back at the wedding in Michigan, Doris was one of the officiants in Angie’s wedding to her husband Bill. As she spoke over their wedding I cried then too.
Doris brings my emotions to the surface. Mostly because of the fact that she is so raw and honest. She looks through you with a discernible eye lacking judgement and overflowing in compassion.
As for the sign that made us laugh… It was Yum Yum Tasty Donuts.
