I Love Sue Heck--and other revelations of the past year

I LOVE Sue Heck. She's the geeky teenager on "The Middle."  The world conspires to bring her down, but most of the time she's oblivious. On the occasion that it does register, her extreme optimism buoys her spirit in a timely manner. She's geeky in a way that isn't cool—cool as in being a book or science or music nerd or wearing rectangular, boldly rimmed glasses. No, Sue's not particularly intellectual nor notably gifted. Her hair's stringy, her figure non-descript, her clothing choices bad—in an un-artistic way. She's socially inept.

Just oh, sooooo average.

Yet with all that's not going for her (and with emotions that run the gamut) there's no denying it:  she reeks of joy.  

She knows about things, feels things most of her peers don't care about—but perhaps should.

I hope they never make her character cool.

Yes, I love Sue Heck.

On the topic of Oma Heidenstecker's grave (which I realize is a stretch)…I had a need to sit at my grandmother's marker the last time I visited my family. That's when Tante Helga told me it no longer exists.  Apparently in Germany you get fifteen to twenty years (depending on whether there's a living spouse) to visit your loved ones before they make room for someone else's loved ones. I wish I had known that the last time I could have but didn't visit…

My aunt also told me about the time my grandmother tried to end her life. She was irritated with my grandfather (not unusual) so she marched out into the middle of the street and waited for a car to hit her. Unfortunately, there weren't many cars on that particular road in those particular days. So after an hour, she gave up.

That shouldn't make me laugh, but it does.  It's sort of Sue-Hecklike.

This past year I've been reminded that whether it's Woodstock, VA, or Haiti, the world's not a level playing field. On the other hand, I've discovered that God's love is.

For anyone out there who has considered sponsoring one of the children in Haiti, here's the Heart of God Haiti website.  Every penny of your $30 goes directly to the children. There was a day while there, when I couldn't hold back tears. I'll never forget what Junior (our translator) said to me.  "Lisa," he said, "I could take you to places where you would never stop crying."

 

And I knew he was telling the truth. So, I tried to keep Theodore Roosevelt's words in mind: 
 

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
 

Yes, these are the declarations/revelations of the past year…and maybe no one cares about them but me…and maybe it's already February and I'm a month late and a dollar short…

But I'm always late.  And a dollar short.  Still, life is good because there is a Grand Plan and I'm not in charge of it.

 

No homecoming queen here:).

Yup, I'm a card-carrying optimist.

It's part of my geeky-yet-not-cool being who sometimes hides behind a non-geeky façade. I'm thinking there are LOTS of not-cool geeks out there. Sidekicks, even. The urge to sing Glenda the Good Witch's song is strong: come out, come out, wherever you are…

 

Maybe it's time to let our Geek Flags fly!

 

To all the Sue Hecks out there—stay dense, stay strong.

Stay optimistic and joyful.

All in Goodwill,
~Lisa