Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Vines (11/21/05)
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TITLE: Vines and Whines | Previous Challenge Entry
By James Clem
11/23/05 -
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Dressed in full battle armor, which is my most comfortable pair of jeans and favorite sweatshirt (which is now so ragged that I’m not allowed to wear it anywhere else); I boldly enter the backyard. I’m wearing my “Green Thumb” gloves and I’m armed with pruning shears and hedge clippers. “Ferns Beware!”
The rose bushes pleaded silently for help. The trumpet vines and spearmint herbs were methodically marching across every clod of dirt like a great green gardening virus that would not be controlled.
I whispered calmly to the roses, “it’s okay now, we’ll take care of these nasty plants that are stealing all your sunlight.” Then I chastised the ferns, “you must learn to share the garden with the roses. They’re flowers too.” The ferns said nothing.
I settled into the task. It was a pleasant morning to be outside where there were no dishes to wash or clothes to put away. I had planted the vines to attract hummingbirds. This was wonderful except that Clawdia had resolved that it was her feline responsibility to chase away these beautiful little creatures.
Suddenly, the door banged open with a holler, “I hate Rachel!” My Eden had been invaded by a teenager. This was of course, my wonderful Christian daughter, Michelle, expressing herself to the entire neighborhood. I ventured mentally through several appropriate replies:
“Hi dear, how is your day?”
“Oh, did Rachel say something to upset you dear?”
“But you’ll be best friends again tomorrow.”
I had just opened my mouth to answer when the outburst continued, “She’s always saying how ugly and stupid I am. I saw her talking to Mark and then they looked at me and started laughing.”
Oh, this is a Mark thing. I can handle this. I’m a Mom after all. I can prune the garden and dole out maternal advice all in one breath. No Problem. “Michelle, you and Mark are very close friends. I’m sure…”
“Mom!” The venomous word caused even the ferns to cringe away. But it is “The Look” that encompasses every confused hormone into a masterpiece of living art. With just one syllable, she effectively communicates, “Mom you really have no clue what happens in the real world do you?”
“I don’t even like Mark anymore! Rachel likes Mark.”
Ah yes, teenage emotions. Not even a mother can keep track of relationships that change sporadically from one day to the next. This was just one more cosmic imbalance to set aright. “So did you actually hear Rachel say you were ugly or stupid?”
“Mom, weren’t you listening? They looked at me as I walking toward them and they started laughing. Ohhh, I hate them both!”
“So you didn’t actually hear what they said?” I suggested feeling like I was trying to hand feed a crocodile.
“No! And I don’t care. I’m not speaking to either of them ever again.”
Strike one. “Is it possible that they were talking about something else… like a movie they saw?” I wanted to add, “or just maybe they didn’t even see you there at all”, but there’s a fine art in trying to appeal to the common sense of a teenage girl whose imagination is running in high gear.
“The Look” softened; the question had gotten through! Yes! Miracles do still happen!
“Well, I suppose they could have been talking about something else. But Mom, they looked right at me.” For a moment, I saw her as the little girl I remembered.
“But you didn’t actually hear anything they said did you?” I held my breath; my whole case was tied into this simple line of defense.
“No, I guess I didn’t.”
Okay. Breathe now. “Michelle, do you see all these vines I’m cutting away? They’re trying to take over the whole garden and if they do, the roses will be choked out. Your worries and anxieties are just like these vines. They’re spreading across your whole mind and they can choke out the friendship you have with Rachel.”
“Wow, Mom, you’re right! I see it. Rachel is my best friend.”
YES! I humbly accept this award for Mother of the Year…
“But wait a minute, Mom, she’s still dating Mark!”
Sigh
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I have been searching for something that would grab my attention, you accomplished it! Great job!
Kudos! Great for a Beginner!
Well, what more can I say?