Saturday, February 16, 2013

I Should Probably Keep These Things to Myself.

Whenever I read the account of the birth of Jesus in the Bible and come to the part where Mary "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart", I always wonder exactly what those things were.

Because I'm nosy.

And also because I'm pretty sure I've never kept anything just for myself to ponder.

I tell people things.

Maybe things they don't want to know.

Maybe things they don't need to know.

Does that make me a bad person or just a loud mouth?

No matter.

Here are three things I should probably keep to myself, but I'm going to put them out there:


1.  I was interested in boys at a very, very young age. 

Ok, not all boys.  Just Cody Krenka. 

Oh, how I loved him. 

Starting way back when I went to Kindergarten for the first time when I was three.  He was in my brother's class and I showed up every day because it was next door.  Grandma Neff was the teacher but she never sent me home.  She just taught me right along with them. 

Anyway, back to Cody. 

He was two grades ahead of me and barely knew I was alive.  And still, I loved him.  For years and years.  Every year, my main goal in life was for him to dance with me at the 4-H dance.  Unfortunately for me, he was a great dancer and therefore, quite sought after. 

Also, most of the rest of us were related to one another, so a boy who wasn't a first cousin was quite desirable. 

One year in particular, when I was about ten (and after seven years of thwarted love), Cody didn't ask me to dance.  I was beyond dejected.

I don't know if my dad noticed that or if he just happened to ask me to dance at that point, I'll never know.

But he pulled me out on the dance floor and we proceeded to have a rip-roaring good time.

My dad wasn't much of a dancer, but at that point, I pretty much thought he was Fred Astaire.

Plus, he let me twirl around on his hand as much as I wanted and I was wearing a super pretty yellow Easter dress with a full skirt.

Last night, I watched my non-dancing husband take to the dance floor with Carolyn for a few minutes and it was almost more than I could take.

Daddies were meant to have little girls.


2.  Today at Walmart we ran into a girl (maybe 12 years old) with special needs.  I'm not sure what her particular disability was other than some musculo-skeletal issues and the inability to speak, but her mother was fit to be tied as we waited in a long, long, looooong line to check out.

She was enthralled by Carolyn.

She kept patting Carolyn and then patting my stomach.

And I would tell her that yes, Carolyn was a baby from my tummy.

She'd point at my wedding ring and make kissing sounds.

And I'd tell her yes, I was married.

Then, she started to hug on Carolyn.

And when I say hug, I mean HUG.

Carolyn's generally not down for that kind of thing, but she sat completely still for almost the entire fifteen minute encounter saying, "Hello, Ms. Chloe, hello!  It's ok!"

After a time of observation, a lady behind us in line leaned back to the next lady and said, "I wonder what's wrong with this girl."

Carolyn perked up and said, "There's nothing wrong with her.  She's just loving me a lot."


3.  A friend I grew up with asked me a month ago to make an array of little hats for her niece who is having brain surgery (and will therefore loose her hair) some time next month.  Thinking nothing of it, I made them and sent them to her sister-in-law.  A couple of weeks later, I got this message from my friend:

I just have to share with you what my SIL told me the other day. She was telling me about her daughter's up and coming surgery. She said her daughter has been really angry about it and telling them she didn't want it that she wants to be bald forever ect. When she got the hat, her whole outlook has changed, she's more pleasant to be around and not so angry about the surgery either. She wears a hat almost everyday. Every time I talk to her she thanks me. So I'm thanking you, you really have made a difference in my niece's life.

I'm not going to lie. When I read this, I bawled my eyes out.  Because who would think hats would make a difference to anyone?  When I messaged that back to my friend she sent this:

Heavenly Father really does use us to accomplish his works on this earth. I believe your talent is an instrument.

I'm one of those people who's always wondered what, if any talent I had to share with the world and had always come up blank. 

The Lord really does work in mysterious ways.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Way to go The Kid!!!!! Best comeback ever! Working with patients who have been involved in industrial accidents I've seen SO MANY people make faces or say rude things. Want to hit them every time. There's nothing wrong with anyone! They are human beings just like you! Except for maybe they are more awesome than most because they do extraordinary things everyday. You really can't appreciate your own arm until you see someone who has lost theirs learn how to use a prosthesis. Way to go you and The Kid! You interacted and took the time to communicate with someone who has more experiences with the whispering ladies who just stare. WAY TO GO!!!!!!

lauraacall said...

All I can think to say about this entire post is "WOW! What great stories, thoughts, and people!"