Do you have Bilbopenia?

January 29, 2009 | My Jottings

It’s Thankful Thursday, and once again I’m so grateful for friends. It’s most often through the love of friends that I’m reminded of God’s love for me. Sometimes our friends have brought entire meals just to bring a little relief to our days. Sometimes our friends have fasted and prayed for us in times of extreme need. Sometimes they just call to see how we’re doing, and their words talk us down from the ledge. Other times a card will arrive in the mail, with just the right thoughts to soothe our hearts. And sometimes our friends help us laugh, even in the midst of our sorrows.

A dear friend of mine made me laugh out loud the other day. After she read my blog post on Slaying the Dragon of Selfishness and the condition I’m sometimes afflicted with (Witchinson’s), she e-mailed me to tell me she too, has occasional bouts with a buffeting affliction.

My friend has:

Bilbopenia (bil-bo-pee-ne-uh)  n.  An inherited disorder characterized by abnormally low levels of love in the heart.  In extreme cases, it may be followed by abrupt personality changes. [New Latin, from Greek penià, poverty, lack; see (s)pen-in Indo-European roots.]

I knew exactly what she was referring to, and if any of you have seen Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, you’ll no doubt recall the hideous picture of evil and greed on Bilbo the Hobbit’s face when he and Frodo are together again, and Bilbo snarls and lusts for the ring. It was a scene in the movie that made hearts pound and viewers startle in their seats.

So while I do battle with Witchinson’s, I wonder now if I also have Bilbopenia. **Sigh**

Do you have Witchinson’s and/or Bilbopenia?  No?  What do you have then?