Safely away from the big bad world

Tags

addiction, being yourself, disease, divorce, exclamations, expletives, express feelings, fear, home, ice cream, inspire, parents, safety, security

Today I had many staples yanked out of my foot at my first post-surgical visit to the foot doctor. It hurt like creeping hell so I felt I needed to apologize to the others in the cast room there awaiting their turn with Don, the burly gentleman in charge of such procedures, for my loud exclamations of expletives that flitted into the air amidst the claims that I was making, also loudly, to Don, that I was sure he was the best guy for the job and really good at his job and that I was so glad it was he, the surely most experienced person there, to be the one to haul the staples I gladly gave up, out of my foot. My husband stood by me through the whole thing and in the end, all present kindly forgave me, but I left feeling shaken.

I am home now in the security of my couch, and blankets, television shows, and ice cream, and all feels better.

This sense of being safe, away from burly guys with unfamiliar tools that hurt, and who off-handedly introduce themselves because they know that shortly you’ll be screaming their name, is the security of home.

This security of home is what I dream of for my kids. The place where the big bad world, no matter how how well-intentioned it is can come screaming down on you and beat you to a pulp without a passing glance. This sense of having somewhere to go when it all feels bad is what I hope to create for my children. Parents that cannot produce that place due to divorce, or disease, or addictions, or bad luck, or whatever the world has thrown at them, do a disservice to the next generation who will not know how to create peace in their children’s lives either. I cannot blame those who fail to create security for their kids, but I can pass on the news that it is detrimental to all when it happens.

The good news: no co-pay at today’s visit. Hot fudge sundae for lunch. Lollipop for dessert.

Dreams coming true

Tags

being yourself, cards, cooking, dreams coming true, ice cream, inspire, marriage, play

I had ideas about what I wanted to do on New Year’s day. They were things like read the newspaper in its entirety. Play a game with the whole family. Cook together. But really, the chances of my dreams coming true seemed slim, after all, my family consists of a twenty-year old son, and two teenagers, besides my husband and myself. Almost-adult kids/teenagers are not known for wanting to play games with their parents or to cook with them. I wanted to cook with them because I didn’t want to BE the cook for a family of people who were vacationing on New Year’s day. But it happened, in a wonderfully good omen for the new year, that all my dreams came true.

First, I did not hurry to make breakfast, but instead when ‘children’ inquired about when breakfast would be ready I said little. When pressed I said that I was just waiting for folks to put things together, and then mentioned that I had cut up fruit and Dad was making bacon. Eventually muffins and coffeecake were put on the table by a kid, and then another kid set the table, and then we all sat and ate. As we finished I said I’d love to play the new game we got for Christmas, but my eldest countered with a request to play a card game he had learned. Sure! So we did. He taught the rest of us how to play and we sat there enjoying a card game together for an hour! This may not seem like much, but it is, as I said, a dream come true. Yeah! When that was done I said we’d all probably like to try it again, the card game that is, after dinner now that we knew how to do it. Then I suggested we get a consensus on what dinner should be and who would make each part. I offered up two choices, we voted, then volunteered, and voila, just after reading three days worth of newspapers another dream came true. We made dinner in record time since there were five of us doing it.

Afterward we loaded the tea cart with everything to make ice cream sundaes because we hadn’t had any holiday sweets in hours, and then we played cards and ate ice cream sundaes.
Thank you whoever is in charge….I LOVED THIS NEW YEAR’S DAY.