On Sunday morning we woke up to the message that Mary Byrne, our very good friend, and friend to many, had died. Pat and I had just visited Mary last Friday at the nursing home where she had been moved after a recent hospitalization. She had just entered hospice care and through her daughter had asked to see family and friends one last time. At our visit Mary said that once she accepted death and hospice care she had felt a deep sense of peace and her family was doing well with her decision. She had been in and out of the hospital over 17 times the last few years and knew it was time to prepare for death. She engaged us in a lively conversation about her family and friends, what a blessed life she had lived and how she had prepared for her death, all with her grand sense of humor. As we were leaving and gave her an embrace she asked me what I was now working on. I mentioned briefly how I was trying to work with minority people in poverty to struggle for their rights and she nodded her approval.

This last visit contained the two elements I remember most about Mary, her deep concern and support for social justice and her sense of humor. Over the years Mary was a big supporter of human rights movements and when she was too old to take an active role she was a supporter of those of us who were able to struggle. Occasionally she would invite Pat and me over to the Catholic Home for dinner. She had lived in an independent living apartment there right to her last hospitalization. At these dinners, and afterwards in her apartment, she would ask about how we and our family were doing and share with us updates of her family and friends. Her husband, a professor at Marquette University was also active in social justice and human rights and his name comes up when I investigate activism on campus in the library archives. Sadly he had died young and left Mary with five children to raise. From all reports from her children she encouraged them to be active in social justice issues and passed it on to her grandchildren. I know her support and concern to me, even when others were ignoring my concerns, was important.

A good sign of her wonderful sense of humor was her ‘joke ministry’ by email to family and friends. People would send her humorous jokes by email and she would pass them on to everyone on her list. Someday you might receive three or four and some days one or none, but it was something you could count on to make you laugh and lift your spirits. One of her last ‘joke ministry’ jokes is below. It is about electing our first woman president in 2016, Maxine. Living in an unjust world, especially when one is ill or depressed, humor is necessary for survival. Mary, 88 years young, was a woman full of compassion and humor.

Here we are, already discussing the future President of the United States, beginning with the Year 2016.

For those of you who would like THE VERY BEST choice for President, we have a solution:
It is probably time we have a woman as President.

One choice is a very special lady who has just about every answer to assist in helping us to solve our problems.

PLEASE give this a thought when you have a moment.

MAXINE FOR PRESIDENT!

Maxine on “Driver Safety” - “I can not use the cell phone in the car. I have to keep my hands free for making gestures.”

Maxine on “Lawn Care” — “The key to a nice looking lawn is a good mower. I recommend one who is muscular and shirtless.”

Maxine on “The Perfect Man” — “All I’m looking for is a guy who will do what I want, when I want, for as long as I want, and then go away. Or wait nearby, like a Dust Buster, charged up and ready when needed.”

Maxine on “Technology Revolution” — “My idea of rebooting is kicking somebody in the butt twice.”

Maxine on “Aging” — “Take every birthday with a grain of salt. This works much better if the salt accompanies a Margarita.”

“I am telling you … she is the perfect candidate.”

“The only two things we do with greater frequency in middle age are urinate and attend funerals.”

“The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.”

“To err is human; to forgive, highly unlikely.”

“Do you realize that in about forty years, we’ll have millions of old ladies running around with tattoos and pierced navels?” (Now that’s scary!)

“Money can’t buy happiness — but somehow it’s more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.”

“After a certain age, if you don’t wake up aching somewhere … you may be dead.”

If you do not send this to ten of your friends within the next five minutes, nothing will happen … but you will rob them of a whole bunch of much-needed laughter.

WARNING
Under no circumstances should you take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night!

Comments

Please send any comments on this post to . Let us know which day’s post your comments pertain to. If the comments are appropriate we will post them here for you.