Dwelling Divine

THE ICE CREAM MAN IS COMING!

Is this familiar? Your husband does something annoying or forgets to do something important. The doing or the forgetting isn’t what really infuriates you, however. His  act or non-act is representative. It stands for a serious character flaw that must be addressed. A lecture is the only way to go about it, so you rehearse a fantastic speech in the shower or car, of course.

Later that evening, when you deliver your lecture, your husband feels very sorry for you and gives you roses after he takes out the trash, unloads the dishwasher, cleans the diaper genie, scrubs the kitchen, paints the house, cleans the car, and organizes the basement.

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Childhood

Before motherhood, arriving at  my front door was predictable. Park the car, out the door, and up the steps while planning my to-do’s: dinner, laundry, a work project. Grab my keys, unlock the door, plop down my tote, and on with the evening.

With a toddler in hand, however, I embark on an adventurous excursion as soon as my field guide is out of his car seat. First, we kneel and study ants trailing along the sidewalk. Then, we see how the dandelions are doing. A handful is taken for close analysis. The wind scatters their little white furries, and we observe how each one skips across the grass.

A loud whoosh captures the little scientist’s attention. An airplane? He looks up . . . waits . . . waits . . . waits . . . and there! Yes, his hypothesis is correct. Airplane! “Ooooooh!” he remarks.

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