Methodically.
Quietly.
I watched him take out a bowl...one bowl. A small, glass one...like, for cereal. And he carefully carried it over to the cabinet and put it away.
And then he went back to the dishwasher and got another bowl...and walked over to the cabinet, and put it away.
One by one.
His little feet inside his little Crocs quietly walking across the floor from the dishwasher to the cabinet...and back again. Croc...Croc...Croc...
I've often wondered why he does it that way. Me? I get out a stack of dishes and try to carry as much stuff as I can to the cabinet...so I can make fewer trips.
But, either way...the slow way or the fast way...it still gets done, right?
He does the same thing when he clears the table at night. He takes his fork to the sink...and then comes back for his plate...and then comes back for his cup.
I don't know if it's a balance thing or what. Probably. I've also watched as he fills his cup with orange juice in the mornings. He fills it about half-way...so that he can carry it to the table and not spill it. When we eat at a fast-food place, he will ask if he can get me more drink. And he will come back with my cup half-full.
But he didn't spill any of it on the way!
It's kind of cool...the way he's adapted his behavior. He knows what he wants to do and what he feels comfortable doing...and he's made adjustments to make it happen. All on his own.
I had a Sunday School teacher years ago who said, "the journey is as important as the destination."
I believe that. My husband, however, does not embrace that philosophy. Especially since we have 4 kids. His mantra is "the quickest way between point A and point B is a straight line." And, he would add, "without stopping." He wants to finish what he started and mark it off the list before he begins something else. That's the way he does things at work, and for his job...that is realistic. When you work for the largest electric company in Arkansas, you can't really push things to the other side of the desk until later. An industry or business...someone's livelihood or life...depends on you taking care of tasks and problems in a timely manner.
At home, that doesn't really work. Or maybe it's just me and my home. I couldn't have "pick up toys" on my to-do list, and cross it off after I did it...because 15 minutes later, my kids would've dragged out more toys and DIDN'T I JUST PUT THOSE UP?
And, take laundry for another example. I'm a stay-at-home mom, but I've never really had a specific laundry DAY set aside each week like my Grandma did. I have typically done at least one load of laundry every day of my life. Not really, but it seems that way. Just the other day, I walked into my laundry room and the door opened and went all the way back to the wall.
Anyone know what I'm talking about?
Nothing on the floor and nothing BEHIND the door to prevent the door from opening all the way. I could see the floor. But I knew better than to bask in the glow of an empty laundry basket. This ain't my first rodeo. And, sure enough, later that night, one of mine came down the stairs carrying clothes and towels piled up over his head. He actually had to lean against the railing for balance as he came down, because he couldn't see in front of him.
As Type A as Jim is, I'm Type Z. I want to flit from here to there, depending on how I'm feeling that day. He wants to barrel through life at break-neck speed, going from one thing to the next quickly. Like it's a contest. Or a race. I want to linger...in places, with people. We
Joshua is a mix of both of us. He likes his routine, like his Dad...but he also goes at a slower pace, like me. He notices details that I miss, tho, because I get bogged down in the task. He studies faces and can decipher your emotions based on your facial expressions.
These days with him, I am making more of an effort to slow down. Sometimes we have to hurry, but not always.
I'm kept Joshua home from Therapeutic Recreation (TR) today. He wasn't sad about it at all. The friends are just hanging out at the Center, so it's not like he is missing an outing. Yesterday, they stayed at the Center and cleaned up everything from the Valentine Ball. They put all the decorations away, and got things back in order. They also had some craft time and made some cool bracelets!
And, shocker...there was some drama. But...SHOCKER...it wasn't between Joshua and Jenni. It was between Michael and Melissa. M/M have been a "couple" for a while. Apparently, yesterday when they were sitting outside, Michael broke up with Melissa, and Melissa was in tears. Michael and Melissa are older friends...Melissa is almost 40! Even so, the relationships that the friends at TR have are still very much on an innocent and child-like level.
With moments of teenage hormones thrown in just to keep e'erbody on their toes!
Joshua said that he and Jenni told Michael, "we are NOT HAVING any of that," and he used his fingers for emphasis, as he showed me how he pointed right at Michael. I guess it worked, because Michael went outside and got back together with Melissa.
So, see? Sometimes all you need is the voice of reason.
Thursday is fitness day at TR and Joshua will be there! They are going out for lunch, and there's nothing that all of the friends like better than going out for lunch!
Unless it's...
NOPE.
There's nothing they like better!
"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1
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