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Getting the Message

The lass came home and the first thing she wanted to do was go in the pool. That’s fine- it’s there to be used. But first some lunch and some sunscreen. We made her wait for her food to settle, telling her she’d get stomach cramps if she went into the water to soon after eating. Thus, passing on the urban legend to a new generation.

She wanted to know if I’d go in the pool with her. I told her later.

So after about 30 minutes in the water, her lips are purple. The water temp is probably up to a scalding 60 or so. She gets out and 30 seconds later, begins the questioning period.

Q: Have I warmed up yet?
A: No.
Q: Are my lips still purple?
A: Yes.
Q: When will I be warm enough?
A: When you’re teeth stop chattering.

Recycle this every couple of minutes and you get the idea.

When she finally is warm enough, she asks me to get in the pool with her. But I declined initially. I’m not really sure why, I just don’t feel like going in the pool at that moment.

So she doesn’t go in the pool either. Instead, she follows me around puppy-like. I went inside to listen to Pandora for a bit and she came in with me and sat down quietly to play with the Legos. I asked her why she wasn’t going in the pool. She replies “Because you aren’t.”

Then I notice the song playing from Pandora, Cat’s In the Cradle. Really. I look over at the lass still sitting there with the Legos.

Being around the kids all the time, I tend to get to points where I take them for granted. With Summer vacation coming, that feeling will intensify. To some degree, it’s only natural. I believe that old saying goes “familiarity breeds contempt” and like most old sayings, there’s a kernel of truth to it.

But in the end, it’s just an excuse. The kids are kids only for so long. Then, their interests will expand beyond our family to friends and the like. When that time comes, the opportunities to do simple things with them dwindle. Then, one day, they’re all but gone.

But here and now, the lass still wants to going swimming. And it seems best not to be like the guy in the song.

One reply on “Getting the Message”

When YOU were growing up, I had the lyrics of ‘Time in a Bottle’ pinned on the bulletin wall … it was my reminder to keep my priorities focused on the three of you ….

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