Surprises
I was going over a Syra’s Scribbles written ten years ago that shared my frustration at the way life’s surprises made it hard to keep everything under control. That made me reflect on how different my expectations are these days. I no longer wake up each morning with a to do list a mile long and plans set in stone. What has been lost in productivity has been made up in peace, and life is easier with Mom gone and the youngest child of the house seven years old. I still fight the urge to control things. If joy could be scheduled, it would be written in ink on the calendar, but as it turns out, the best moments of summer have been complete surprises.
A few weeks ago, the day was done, and the kids were restless.
To end the fighting, I said, “Hey everyone! Let’s go get some ice cream!”
Jonah, Xenia, and Justin fell in with the idea. Basil was glad to stay home and play on the computer alone. Sophia was hanging out with Anthony, and Esther was with Joshua.
On the way over to our favorite ice cream drive through the kids started reminiscing about our first house in Fort Worth and the great next door neighbors we had. They asked when we would see Lori again.
“Let’s find out.” I said and called her. To my surprise, she was at home free for company. We bought cones and came on over. The kids fawned over her dogs and then headed to the back yard to look at her pool. They stuck their toes in. They pulled up their pants and stuck their feet in, and soon jumped in fully clothed. Lori sent us home with her pool towels. The kids’ faces shone with smiles that went ear to ear.
Jonah said, “This was the best night ever!”
All our trips to the community pool with the right goggles, towels and swim toys were nothing compared to that unexpected dip in Lori’s pool.
A week later, another restless evening turned into another trip out for ice cream with Jonah, Xenia and Justin. This time on the way for cones, I realized that we were close to my friend Tana’s house. I called to see if she were interested in ice cream or maybe a meet up at the park. She said she and her two kids would join us in half an hour.
Her son is Jonah’s age and her daughter is the same age as Justin. The kids paired off and left Tana holding the leash of her aged dog to sit on a bench with me. We sat on opposite ends to keep up social distance. Soon the kids ran back to report an armadillo sighting which was exciting because I hadn’t seen a live armadillo ever. Tana, her dog Chaucer, and I walked over to the creek. A tiny armadillo rolled around in the mud and three more of them frolicked through the foliage. The four of them ran around looking for bugs or something under the fresh green leaves growing on the creek bank. I pulled the cell phone out of my back pocket and took lots of videos and pictures. Then one of them ventured close to us. He came all the way up to my sandal and licked me toe. I’ve been kissed by a baby armadillo! That’s the highlight of my summer.
The kids and I have eased into playdates with friends we can trust to cancel if they don’t feel well or have a family member who has been exposed to the virus. We have only met with one or two families at a time. Still the playdates that we look forward to for days haven’t delivered the fun of the unexpected time in the park with friends.
Yesterday I took Jonah, Justin, and Xenia to Inner Space Caverns near Austin, Texas. I had hoped to meet Uncle Jerry and Aunt Birgit there but after some thought it was obvious that it wasn’t a safe choice for people who are being extra careful to avoid getting sick. On the tour I wondered if the low ceilings would have been uncomfortable for my uncle who is six foot four. Most everyone on the small tour were wearing masks, but it was close quarters. The kids and I had lunch at a restaurant which made me remember why we don’t take them out in public. They can’t resist touching everything and all the hand sanitizer in my purse couldn’t keep them from getting whatever germs were at the table and soda fountain into their bodies.
On the way home Xenia got carsick. I bought some Dramamine at a gas station and drugged her for the return trip. Before she fell asleep the kids debated the age old question, “If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for.” They spent a good ten minutes on all they ways to cheat genies to get more wishes. When they moved on to actual wishes they wished we had wishes for a cat, a new sister, the ability to fly, chances to be kind, and that people wouldn’t be mean.
I said, “Why don’t you just wish for world peace?”
The kids chorused, “Wow, Mom! Great idea!”
We stopped off at my friend Arlyn’s house in Alvarado south of Forth Worth on the way home. The kids liked having an outing and the cavern was as beautiful as always, but the highlight of their day was seeing Arlyn’s dog and running around outside. Splashing in the water and eating popsicles was the ultimate source of joy. As we drove away, the kids listened to a rock song cover by Japanese children and continued their idyllic childhood moment in a happy drive home.
I don’t like it that the activities I organize for a good time, like going out for ice cream or going on a day trip to see the caverns, aren’t the fun parts of the day, but the outings provided the opportunity for the moment of joy to happen. These times of bliss don’t come when we are at home sitting in front of separate televisions. I just noticed that each of these stories includes a dog. That might be an important element too.
It's strange times we are living in when going out still doesn’t feel safe. I hope that we can continue to find joyful moments in the everyday outings of life this summer and make it a summer to remember even though it’s very different from the summer we had planned.
I’m planning an outdoor socially distanced surprise party for a friend and pray that it will be all I hope. She’s the kind of person who finds joy in life so there’s a good chance it will be a success. Hopefully there will be a wonderful story about it next week.
I was going over a Syra’s Scribbles written ten years ago that shared my frustration at the way life’s surprises made it hard to keep everything under control. That made me reflect on how different my expectations are these days. I no longer wake up each morning with a to do list a mile long and plans set in stone. What has been lost in productivity has been made up in peace, and life is easier with Mom gone and the youngest child of the house seven years old. I still fight the urge to control things. If joy could be scheduled, it would be written in ink on the calendar, but as it turns out, the best moments of summer have been complete surprises.
A few weeks ago, the day was done, and the kids were restless.
To end the fighting, I said, “Hey everyone! Let’s go get some ice cream!”
Jonah, Xenia, and Justin fell in with the idea. Basil was glad to stay home and play on the computer alone. Sophia was hanging out with Anthony, and Esther was with Joshua.
On the way over to our favorite ice cream drive through the kids started reminiscing about our first house in Fort Worth and the great next door neighbors we had. They asked when we would see Lori again.
“Let’s find out.” I said and called her. To my surprise, she was at home free for company. We bought cones and came on over. The kids fawned over her dogs and then headed to the back yard to look at her pool. They stuck their toes in. They pulled up their pants and stuck their feet in, and soon jumped in fully clothed. Lori sent us home with her pool towels. The kids’ faces shone with smiles that went ear to ear.
Jonah said, “This was the best night ever!”
All our trips to the community pool with the right goggles, towels and swim toys were nothing compared to that unexpected dip in Lori’s pool.
A week later, another restless evening turned into another trip out for ice cream with Jonah, Xenia and Justin. This time on the way for cones, I realized that we were close to my friend Tana’s house. I called to see if she were interested in ice cream or maybe a meet up at the park. She said she and her two kids would join us in half an hour.
Her son is Jonah’s age and her daughter is the same age as Justin. The kids paired off and left Tana holding the leash of her aged dog to sit on a bench with me. We sat on opposite ends to keep up social distance. Soon the kids ran back to report an armadillo sighting which was exciting because I hadn’t seen a live armadillo ever. Tana, her dog Chaucer, and I walked over to the creek. A tiny armadillo rolled around in the mud and three more of them frolicked through the foliage. The four of them ran around looking for bugs or something under the fresh green leaves growing on the creek bank. I pulled the cell phone out of my back pocket and took lots of videos and pictures. Then one of them ventured close to us. He came all the way up to my sandal and licked me toe. I’ve been kissed by a baby armadillo! That’s the highlight of my summer.
The kids and I have eased into playdates with friends we can trust to cancel if they don’t feel well or have a family member who has been exposed to the virus. We have only met with one or two families at a time. Still the playdates that we look forward to for days haven’t delivered the fun of the unexpected time in the park with friends.
Yesterday I took Jonah, Justin, and Xenia to Inner Space Caverns near Austin, Texas. I had hoped to meet Uncle Jerry and Aunt Birgit there but after some thought it was obvious that it wasn’t a safe choice for people who are being extra careful to avoid getting sick. On the tour I wondered if the low ceilings would have been uncomfortable for my uncle who is six foot four. Most everyone on the small tour were wearing masks, but it was close quarters. The kids and I had lunch at a restaurant which made me remember why we don’t take them out in public. They can’t resist touching everything and all the hand sanitizer in my purse couldn’t keep them from getting whatever germs were at the table and soda fountain into their bodies.
On the way home Xenia got carsick. I bought some Dramamine at a gas station and drugged her for the return trip. Before she fell asleep the kids debated the age old question, “If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for.” They spent a good ten minutes on all they ways to cheat genies to get more wishes. When they moved on to actual wishes they wished we had wishes for a cat, a new sister, the ability to fly, chances to be kind, and that people wouldn’t be mean.
I said, “Why don’t you just wish for world peace?”
The kids chorused, “Wow, Mom! Great idea!”
We stopped off at my friend Arlyn’s house in Alvarado south of Forth Worth on the way home. The kids liked having an outing and the cavern was as beautiful as always, but the highlight of their day was seeing Arlyn’s dog and running around outside. Splashing in the water and eating popsicles was the ultimate source of joy. As we drove away, the kids listened to a rock song cover by Japanese children and continued their idyllic childhood moment in a happy drive home.
I don’t like it that the activities I organize for a good time, like going out for ice cream or going on a day trip to see the caverns, aren’t the fun parts of the day, but the outings provided the opportunity for the moment of joy to happen. These times of bliss don’t come when we are at home sitting in front of separate televisions. I just noticed that each of these stories includes a dog. That might be an important element too.
It's strange times we are living in when going out still doesn’t feel safe. I hope that we can continue to find joyful moments in the everyday outings of life this summer and make it a summer to remember even though it’s very different from the summer we had planned.
I’m planning an outdoor socially distanced surprise party for a friend and pray that it will be all I hope. She’s the kind of person who finds joy in life so there’s a good chance it will be a success. Hopefully there will be a wonderful story about it next week.