Expounding on a Few Slivers

A few asked for more thoughts on some of the "Slivers" posted a few weeks back. I have decided to accommodate.

I recently discovered a new author I really enjoy, Jodi Picoult. I have read several of her books and would recommend any of them, but in this post I will focus on "My Sister's Keeper". (It bothers me that I can't figure out how to underline the title.)

The primary question raised by Picoult in "My Sister's Keeper" is the ethical status research. She places the debate into the minds and hearts of child characters, two sisters. Do the benefits of stem cell research outweigh the downsides, or the other way around? Without giving too much away, I can tell you that one sister was conceived invitro for the specific purpose of donating cord blood to her perfectly genetically matched sister who suffers leukemia. What is the unpredictable fallout from such a situation? If good ethics support justice, how can justice possibly be served for both sisters?

I am, admittedly, uninformed on the stem cell research debate. My initial reaction is that it errors too close to playing God, whatever that means and as if that is possible. I understand that the benefits of research in this field are noble in that every advancement relieves pain and suffering. I do not believe that I give to much away by saying that Picoult leaves the debate open, a wise choice that does not alienate either party. Her book simply raises many questions and creates empathy in the reader for both sides. Her characters are well rounded, full of love, hate, self serving habits, history, and conflict.

A tangent thought as I read this book through the lens of my own parenting experience was how difficult it is to watch our children suffer. The parent of a cancer child suffers unimaginable pain vicariously through every needle, pill, test or procedure. My experiences with Micah have been minuscule compared to what is described in this book. And yet our heavenly father watches us suffer, and suffers with us, without numbing our nerves to the pain. He desires that we feel no pain, yet he loves when we draw near to him through it.

Now I will quickly change the subject to something more light-hearted. Out little flood in the house a few months back provoked a domino line of home projects. One of those involved moving Micah into a twin bed and creating a bedroom for the boys to share. I still have some work to do in this room because I think the walls are too stark white, but here are the pictures. I'm sewing pillows that look like rocks to put on the ground around the tree. I'm also looking for a "tree stump" stool / chair. I'm open to any creative suggestions in the jungle theme. I built a tree in my house and I'm very proud. The pictures don't show the dimension very well... it's not really that dinky... and now I'm sounding insecure despite my claim of pride. Oh, well.