Monday
12/24/03
Never Forget the Obvious
As all… well most anyway, dads and moms know, the benefits of having kids is nearly limitless. Despite all the ridiculous trouble they can cause, there are always the sappy, maudlin moments of cuteness in which they unwittingly engage. There is, for instance, an unsolicited hug and " I love you, dad" for every masterpiece that appears on the couch in green magic marker. I suppose it’s a sort of Zen-like balance in our lives.
But, more to the point, today I was thinking about how kids are occasionally invaluable in that they remind us of the obvious. This morning, my oldest was racing dervish-like through the house, but then suddenly dropped to floor next to our elderly dog, scratched his head and simply said "soft". I looked down at the ancient Shih Tzu and wondered how long it had been since I had noticed the same thing.
But, despite sappy nonsense like that, the whole obvious-kid-thing has more practical applications as well. Sort of like when the little one will wander out of the bathroom and stop after a moment with an odd look on his face.
"I forgot to wipe." comes the explanation, exquisite in its simplicity.
"Yes, wiping is good." I reply. And off he goes back into the bathroom with an oddly world-weary air about him.
"Obvious," I murmured to myself, "never forget the obvious."
Oh yeah, I almost forgot the whole point of all this foolishness, as I came across this little sweetmeat today. It’s a BBC story reporting a study that says that doing housework is "depressing". The story is, of course, also an outstanding monument to the blindingly obvious.
And, of course, happy to you and yours
|
Never Forget the Obvious
As all… well most anyway, dads and moms know, the benefits of having kids is nearly limitless. Despite all the ridiculous trouble they can cause, there are always the sappy, maudlin moments of cuteness in which they unwittingly engage. There is, for instance, an unsolicited hug and " I love you, dad" for every masterpiece that appears on the couch in green magic marker. I suppose it’s a sort of Zen-like balance in our lives.
But, more to the point, today I was thinking about how kids are occasionally invaluable in that they remind us of the obvious. This morning, my oldest was racing dervish-like through the house, but then suddenly dropped to floor next to our elderly dog, scratched his head and simply said "soft". I looked down at the ancient Shih Tzu and wondered how long it had been since I had noticed the same thing.
But, despite sappy nonsense like that, the whole obvious-kid-thing has more practical applications as well. Sort of like when the little one will wander out of the bathroom and stop after a moment with an odd look on his face.
"I forgot to wipe." comes the explanation, exquisite in its simplicity.
"Yes, wiping is good." I reply. And off he goes back into the bathroom with an oddly world-weary air about him.
"Obvious," I murmured to myself, "never forget the obvious."
Oh yeah, I almost forgot the whole point of all this foolishness, as I came across this little sweetmeat today. It’s a BBC story reporting a study that says that doing housework is "depressing". The story is, of course, also an outstanding monument to the blindingly obvious.
And, of course, happy to you and yours
