Intolerance

I woke up this morning with the worst headache, one of those that feel like someone hit you from behind with a stick and your eyes are going to pop out.  I'm sure it's just stress, it seems like we have lots of that around here right now. Life was going along pretty well until we got thumped when Kamber drowned. Then with my hip operation and now the reality that my Dad doesn't have that much time left, the light has come on and I feel more aware of what the future holds. Recently I have been trying to help a friend get her home zoned so she can have receptions in a barn on her property on Greenfield Rd.. She's getting older,  has some health issues, and is also taking care of her elderly mother, which makes it hard for her to leave. Mindi and I sent out an e-mail asking a few members we knew in the ward to help us, help her, so she could get it passed with the city. Within five minutes of sending the note we got a response that "NO" we will not only not support her, but we are going to fight her so she will have to sell her property and leave. WHAT? Yes, we who ask everyone to be tolerant of us in our cities with the activities, traffic and noise want to shut her down. There is even someone in the neighborhood that is going around with a petition telling everyone it's going to be a bar and open from 10 to 10, which isn't true. Last night as Rich and I were going to bed still fuming about this issue he said, "I've been thinking a lot today that maybe it's time for us to move. Our house might be worth enough that we could get a little money and we could go somewhere else." After talking a little bit more we realized that we are too old to move all our stuff and I love my animals and he loves all his citrus trees. We love our neighbors and the ward and stake. So, this morning cooler heads prevailed and we will help Marlene all we can, but that is all we can do for her. As Rich was leaving he said, "There is intolerance all around us and sometimes the intolerance is even in us." So I guess we are staying for now, but will fight for justice as we see it.