... and a couple months later...
School, work, children, car troubles, financial ups, financial bombs, A couple of white lies, a few good deeds, unanswered questions, unanswered emails, shockers, screamers, deceit, areas of gray, Family reunited, family nearly torn apart, new friends that are always around the corner, old friends that haven't returned messages, new experiences, old experiences that keep creeping back, The Mars Volta introduction, reintroduction to Willy Wonka's fun dip, and 1997 revisited...
That struck some nails on the heads. Whew. Well, it's only going to get better. Through the past couple of months, I felt like life threw a test at me. To my disappointment, it wasn't an one parter and there was no multiple choice. It was one of those tests that seem to last for awhile. It's the kind of tests that come with breaks because of the length. It's not one of those tests that are pass or fail. It's the special kind of tests; the kind of test that teaches. Did I learn? Somewhat. I believed I learned perseverance through a new light. When I think of perseverance, I get the mental image of a determined workout. I learned that I have a bit of personal strength that I was doubtful of (but also always aware of). Determination is a funny word to use to describe the lesson I learned. I found myself in some bad situations and negative places but I also found myself connecting with those that I always wanted to connect to, such as my children. I took a step back and listened closer to what they were saying. And sometimes, I hear more when they're not using words. A particular incident comes to mind.
This particular morning, my daughter greeted me outside with a hug and her ritualistic knee hugs as I got home from school. She asked me the usual questions.
"Daddy, Did you go to work?"
"No, baby, I was at school. It's Tuesday."
"Daddy, did you drink coffee this morning?"
"Yes, baby."
"Daddy, do you have homework?"
"Yes, baby."
The usual questions fills me with pure happiness. It's the kind of questions that say "I love you" in so many words. As the morning progressed, I found myself denying a game of Pokemon Sorry multiple times, because I knew that I had work to do. I caved in before noon and sat down for a quick game. The quick game only lasted as long as her Four-year-old attention span (which was surprisingly 15 minutes). After we she got comfortable with the rules, she was in the zone with few words. I found myself watching her intently. It was a moment of content. I ended up getting a few pieces jumped and I'm pretty sure she got a touchdown in the game of Sorry by her score [By "comfortable with the rules", I meant comfortable]. As I saw the board on the play area of the floor, she told me a story in her actions. She wasn't trying to win or be number one. In her own methodology, she was making an area for all of our game pieces (which were Pokemon in this particular version) to congregate together. My daughter, the peace maker. Don't get me wrong, she's an effective instigator, especially after lunch.
It takes time to enjoy some moments, even if it takes getting caught in a completely different moment to realize that. That statement seems a bit contradicting but I meant every word.
Until next time,
Take care.
MP
