Twenty-Five Million Reasons

Talk about needing a new publicist. After the news of Terrell Owens trip to the emergency room for a suspected intentional drug overdose, publicist Kim Etheredge glibly informed the media, "Terrell has twenty-five million reasons why he should be alive." What a stupid thing to say. Christina Onassis had 600 million reasons to live. It did not keep her from drugging herself to death at 37 years of age. Money does not buy happiness. It just makes misery more comfortable.

I have been pretty miserable this past week, without the benefit of a chest of gold. My husband has been in the hospital and pretty darn sick. But there are also some pretty good reasons to live. Here are my top three this week:

*Hugs: As my husband has gotten intravenous Dilaudid for his pain I have prescribed hugs for my emotional pain. I sure look forward to another day and another hug. It is as palliative as a narcotic and it is free.

*Birds: No, not the kind that spread H5N1 virus. Just the ordinary sparrow works for me. We have a little birdhouse outside the kitchen window and the sparrows are busy preparing the nest for the eggs. In a few weeks the little sparrow beaks will be hanging out the door awaiting their next meal. The care of the sparrows for their young always makes me smile.

*October: It is my favorite month of the year. The weather begins to cool and I love to pull the sweaters out of the hall closet. The heat of summer has subsided and neighbors get out of their houses to walk together after dinner. It is a neighborly month of the year.

So while Terrell Owens slinks back home to fire up the computer and check out his bank account and his stock investments, the rest of us ordinary folks know the truth. The reasons to love life are varied and many, but wealth and happiness are not always wed to each other.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com