Month: July 2015

My husband and I got caught in the rain today. It’s been a long time since that’s happened. By the time we briskly walked the short distance from the pool to our apartment we were drenched beyond the drenching of the pool where we had been swimming only moments earlier. Now laughing, we wondered if it could possibly rain any harder before we climbed the stairs to the front door? Why, yes it can! It reminded me of a distant time when I got caught in the rain with my kids.

It was 2007. A two car caravan. I, with my son, leading the way. My daughter following behind. Her car bulging with her college possessions. We were traveling south on I-95, from Melbourne to Boca Raton, when suddenly warning lights flashed all sorts of red across the dash of Ben’s car! I quickly changed three lanes of traffic, an impressive feat I assure you, and coasted into the corner gas station.

We would have to wait for a mechanic to figure out the problem before we could be on our way. I don’t wait well! I had a better plan. Let’s all squeeze into Mariah’s Suzuki and go to Target. Might as well take care of a few things while we are waylaid. “I’ll drive”. That left one seat to be filled by two occupants. Although clearly illegal, and obviously uncomfortable, I was confident they’d be able to figure out how to puzzle arms and legs together to make it work. Surely at least one of them was wearing a seatbelt! We didn’t have far to go. Upon our arrival I unashamed left them in the parking lot to figure out how to untangle themselves. They were, after all, attracting attention and embarrassing me!

As we prepared to leave the store it was raining! Raining really isn’t a big enough word for the avalanche of water spilling from the sky. Mariah ran to get her car as Ben and I huddled on the only postage stamp spot available in an effort to stay reasonably dry. She pulled up and we crammed even more stuff into her already jam-packed car. I switched places with her, securing myself behind the wheel. You don’t think that just because she shagged the car in the rain she was going to boost that enviable position? Well do you? Not happening! These two grown kids were far more capable of playing Front Seat Twister than I was! Regrettably, they were now playing it with an audience of all the other patrons who were standing under the eaves considering a dash to their cars. “We’ve got this! Nothing to see here!” We laughed! We laughed at our situation. We laughed at being soaked to the skin. We laughed at one more thing being added to our out-of-control day. We laughed at the sight that we made. We laughed that other people were laughing, even if it was at us, not with us. We laughed so hard it hurt and I needed my inhaler!

Later than evening, having unloaded Mariah’s possessions into her dorm room and finally being able to take a moment, we enjoyed dinner together at the Cheesecake Factory. Looking around I spied a woman sitting in an adjoining room who I thought looked a lot like me, but was obviously having a bad hair day. She looked as though she had spent as much time in the rain as I had. I pointed her out to the kids. They looked at each other and then said, “Mom, that’s a mirror”!

I was sitting here at my desk the other day when my cat quietly appeared next to me and began meowing for my attention. I reached down and gently scratched between her ears, wondering when the look of sheer bliss in her half closed eyes would suddenly change and she would swing her head with cat-like reflexes and bite my hand!? I’m not saying she would do it. I’m just saying she could do it. And in the past she has done it! I don’t know why! Just some wild hair she gets. She’s a cat!

Cats are funny creatures. Once upon a time we owned two dogs and two cats. Copper, Chinook, Sophie, and Patches respectively. Our huskies were gentle giants and allowed our cats to co-mingle with them like any other pack member. As a kitten, our youngest cat, Patches would climb onto the back and head of our biggest dog, but as she grew she developed an attitude and was determined to be top dog. Ahem, I mean cat.

Patches would lie in wait on the back of the sofa for an opportunity to take a swipe at anyone who dared walk within striking distance of her paw, with the exception of our daughter. She perceived Mariah as her mother, since it was she who allowed Patches to sleep on her bed as a kitten when all other pets were banned from that particular piece of furniture. I would give Patches a wide berth if she was perched on the back of the sofa, pretending she was preoccupied with thoughts of tuna. In reality she was sizing up the prey and I was determined not to be caught in her web of deception. My husband was either too engrossed in his thoughts or oblivious to her intent, because he was always passing too closely resulting in a claw to the forearm and a trip to the bathroom for antiseptic.

Patches loved to chase Sophie. Sophie was older than Patches, but Patches outweighed her by 5 pounds. Sophie didn’t find Patches’ game of cat and mouse amusing and would take refuge underneath Copper’s legs. Copper was a beautiful husky. A throwback to his ancestors, with long legs and long snout. He had an intimidating look about him. The older Patches got the more she was instinctually afraid of him, though he never snapped, growled, or even barked. Somehow Sophie knew this and learned to take refuge in his presence. Copper was her home base and there was little Patches could do about it.

When Mariah left for college we worried about Patches. How would she adjust to not having Mariah around. She had no choice but to adapt. She needed to adopt a new protector. Who did she choose? My husband. Her usual target for “batting” practice! I couldn’t believe it! The man who I swore she hated had now become her “go to” favorite. If Kim sat down Patches took it as an invitation to climb on him. Sitting on his lap wasn’t enough. She needed to slowly climb up his chest until she had her head resting on his shoulder. What had happened here?

What had happened is what always happens. Things change. Copper, Chinook, and Sophie have all passed away leaving only paw prints in our hearts. Patches is older now, but like all of us still needs to feel safe, to be comforted, to be loved. She is all those things. She’s a little more mellow than she use to be and sleeps a little more often. But, every once in a while she will take a quick swipe, or let out a warning hiss just to let us know….she is still a cat!

Oh my gosh! The things we could get done if we would just stay focused! Am I right? Of course I’m right. I use to tell my kids that all the time when they were in school. “Stay on task and you’ll get it finished in no time!” I noticed a similar problem around the property we live on. The maintenance crew is great, but they are easily distracted, leaving a few too many projects in progress and even fewer completed. So, what do I do, besides criticize? Flit about from one project or chore to the next. The next thing you know the day is done, but nothing else is!

Why do we do that? We all do it! Okay…maybe not all, but most of us. It’s not like we don’t enjoy what we do. We gain a lot of satisfaction from our work. Sometimes we just don’t feel like working. Sometimes we’re overwhelmed. So, instead I start my day with a swim, which of course has to be followed by a shower, naturally it is now time for lunch, which is followed by a break to check my emails. Now I’m tired, so perhaps a nap and then a snack….whoa! Where did the day go? It’s time to fix supper! I can always work on writing tomorrow! And so it goes.

I don’t care what your job is. How much you like or dislike it. Whether you’re task oriented or a world class procrastinator we are all subject to distractions. You check your emails and then your Facebook page. “Like this, like this, like that!” Get a cup of coffee, bathroom break, check out what the co-workers did over the weekend, find out what they are doing this weekend, get up to speed on your “Trivia Crack” games, send a couple of texts. The clock is ticking my friend! We have work to do! Let’s try to have something to show for it!

I know some of you have jobs that do require you finish what you start. My son is a flight instructor. There’s no getting distracted there! It won’t end well. My son-in-law works with asphalt. I think he may have been a little too focused once and didn’t notice he was on fire! (Another story). Most of us, though, have to work at it. I give myself little rewards for following through with a project start to finish. I have to. Life is just to interesting to not become distracted.

The 4th of July is upon us and I’ve been noticing that Americans are a funny lot. We’re much like a family. We fight and criticize one another. Roll our eyes, even pout, but if somebody outside the family criticizes us, or attacks us in any way we circle the wagons! It is family first!

This weekend we will gather with family and friends in parks, backyards, beaches, campgrounds, national parks, lakes and  main streets across the country to celebrate who we are….Americans! We will have picnics and barbecues, wave flags, cheer at parades, eat homemade ice cream, hot dogs and watermelon,  and when the sun sets on a practically perfect day we will find a chair, a patch of grass, a piece of beach to gaze upon fireworks in all their glory. When it’s over we will carry sleepy children, gather up blankets and spent sparklers with quiet smiles and warm hearts to match the summer heat, making our way back home.

Lately, though, some of us have ventured a bit far off the family farm. We explain to outsiders, “Oh, that’s just Uncle Fred. He’s a bit crazy. Just pass him the potato salad”.  Our tempers flare with each other and like all families we fight, slam doors, leave the room, don’t talk to each other. I shake my head at my fellow Americans who see our country differently than I. They shake their head at me.

Together though, together we make a difference. Together we are different. We’re the first to offer aid in a global disaster. We feed the world and even have satellites in place to see where we should focus our efforts for upcoming drought and famine. We are the world’s peace keepers and the world’s warriors. We tenaciously defend our liberties, but what is unique about us….we defend the liberties of others around the world.

The principles set out in the Constitution allow us to govern ourselves morally, which then allows us to govern ourselves politically. Those people around the world who endeavor to be free look to the United States as a mighty beacon of hope. For that reason I am proud to be an American. I am grateful to be an American because I am free.

Enjoy this weekend! Unite in red, white, and blue, celebrating Old Glory and all that she stands for. Monday will come soon enough. Then we can scream, shout, slam doors, and make excuses for Uncle Fred. But, on the 4th of July, we’re family! We’re Americans! God bless the USA!