I Don’t Know Why

July 29, 2016

I don’t know why …. I like to say things to my kids like “teamwork makes the dream work!” as they are doing chores. Or “many hands make light work!” when they are bringing in packages from the car. With a smile of course. And gusto. Usually I do a little arm sweep thing – raise my fist in the air to make a point. Usually it is followed by an eye roll which to be honest I was kind of expecting, anticipating actually. Maybe the master teaser who has secondary degrees in knowing exactly what to say and do to torture his two sisters. Maybe just maybe he got that from me. And in a weird way I feel kind of proud.

I don’t know why… but I like to live life Glee style, and do things like sing, “On the way to Cape May” when we are going to Cape May, or Walking in a Winter Wonderland, when walking in a winter wonderland, and any opportunity to break into song – I take it. Those moments are few. We must embrace them.

Congress Hall, Cape May, NJ

I don’t know why… Dork Diaries really bothers me. Even though when we watch the movies or I hear a “hey Mom listen to this” and they read me an excerpt I laugh because it really is very funny. But I feel like it is junk food for their brains. And I tell them that. Kids, I will say, its like junk food, for your brains. It has pictures. Like pictures. Or checking out at the library I will remark as they hand one to the librarian who looks like she never read Dork Dairies, only the Jane Eyre variety, “what happened to Little Women??” You are getting this? It’s like a glorified comic strip. You should be reading a real book.” But they are reading. Like the ESPN magazines my son pours over from the amazing and wonderful Uncle Bill. He likes the stats. Math guy. Likes to measure things. It’s a competitive thing I have come to understand. They like rankings, whose on first, what is on second. And he is reading. So I accept. But not really because … Dork Diaries bothers me…

I don’t know why …. I love the smell of some toxic materials such as fresh paint, expo markers, and sharpies, and don’t get me started on gasoline. I don’t know. I like it. Bought infusers with it. Kidding, kidding, that wouldn’t be safe or very “safety first” which is another quote I say. Handing them a helmet, or reminding them to buckle in the car “Safety first kids!” said with gusto. And a smile. No fist to the sky because that wouldn’t be safe. And would go against the whole “safety first” thing.

I don’t know why… I love being barefoot, especially outdoors. I love the feeling of grass, sand, even pavement under my feet. And I love full moons, half moons, crescent moons, any moons even slivers of moon, and when the moon is round and bright I feel like it is actually intoxicating.

I don’t know why… I feel like the entire world has gone mad. We lost our minds. We lost our way. We lost our hearts. Let’s start there, we lost our hearts. Everyone is mad at someone, and it just builds, and builds. And what if there were less labels, and we were just us, and there was less judging, more acceptance, more harmony, more peace. We have far more in common. Let’s start there. What we have in common.