I want the button. That way, I’ll have a take-away memento of this time. On Sunday, I provided a litany of the tumult that is building around here. Yesterday, there was quite a crescendo of activity. Cindy and I both went to work. But the tumult carried on without us. And when we arrived home, things exploded!
Meredith is quite the emotional wreck. I had just ridden ten miles to get home from work. I had just hit my head ( for the third time or fourth time) on oriental lanterns that were hanging from the stairs. And Meredith was just finishing some ironing of table runners. Amidst this kindling and gun powder, my son and I lit the match.
I started bickering with Meredith about the lanterns. And Adam blew up – because we had disturbed his nap. [Note: He wouldn’t have to nap if he went to bed at a decent hour.]
All of this was too much for Meredith to bear – so she just started to cry. I could tell that these tears included hostility over the recent thefts (in Houston). I could also tell that Meredith was fussing over the move into the house in Raytown. This was coupled with her obvious disappointment about leaving her first job. Finally, she was stressing over the fact that neither she nor Josh has a job yet.
So what did I do to help relieve the tension? I took Meredith dancing!
We headed off to the dance studio so that she and I could practice the dance we would be doing on Saturday night. But the real blessing was the fact that she and I could just look into each other’s eyes – and we could talk a bit. When she relaxes her guard, she has such a fabulous smile. And as we talked, I realized just how much she and her sisters look alike. And I reveled in the fact that she could just forget about all the drama – if only for an hour. I really hope that we can rekindle these few moments when we dance on Saturday. She’ll need the respite.
So it is Tuesday morning. And my mother-in-law will be arriving today. It will be wonderful to have her around – if only for a few days. She has always been a personal blessing of stability – and sheer gratitude. If anyone can help clear away the fog of the mundane, she most certainly can. I praise God for her arrival – and pray that we can all find a few moments where we can dance – even if it’s just a few steps in our own thoughts. [BTW, I dance better in my imagination!]
-Roo