I laugh a little at myself. Not because I’m funny (although I am), but because I sometimes take myself too seriously (which I do). I relish in those times when I do something completely outside of myself, and I wonder where on Earth I come from.
This morning before work I was trying to remove the 10 pounds of hair my daughter leaves in the tub drain. It’s not as if I could actually reach it, but I was trying with my patented wire-hanger-turned-drain-snake. Needless to say, I normally can get the clump of girl stuff out but this morning I wasn’t having much success. After a few well-placed expletives, I realized just how lucky I was.
After all, I have a healthy teenage daughter to leave me these little presents. She was likely as oblivious to the hair left in the drain pipe as she is to the hair she paints the tub with. She has long, flowing brown hair and she is so proud of it she leaves little bits of it around for me to find. She is so good at hiding it that it usually takes about 3 inches of water at the bottom of the tub for me to discover it. Lucky me.
So I laughed at myself. Usually, expletives aren’t a laughing matter, but this morning they were. I can see the upcoming lecture in my mind, me telling Her Sweetness about leaving hair in the tub and the corresponding look of indifference that would come from her in return. I even could see the cursory eye roll at my insistence. I couldn’t help but laugh, and just want to hug her at that very moment.
Then, of course, I’d have to bring up the room that needs cleaning and the pets that need to be fed. More blank stares proceeding more eye rolls. Ah, the joys of having a teenage girl. She’s way too big to put in time out, although I should try. Just for kicks and giggles (my own). Invariably though, it would just lead to more expletives.
She’s a really great kid. She’s hard-working and conscientious. She’s an honor roll student who does her work without being told. Hell, she’s even negotiated do-overs with her teachers when she wasn’t happy with a grade. She has her future mapped out and is working hard toward her goals. She’s independent and strong, a young woman that would make any Dad proud. So, I apologize to all of those who think I should beat her or punish her for not doing everything right. I’ve decided to cut her some slack some of the time. It works for us.
So, I laughed at myself. Sometimes a Dad accepts what he must in order to foster the beauty he sees in his offspring. Today, I accepted the gift of a clogged drain as a birthright of my once-little girl.
No biggie. We move on.
To be honest, I have so much to be grateful for. My children are all good people. I have found the perfect love (for me) in my life. I am growing and expanding rapidly and with purpose. I have so much to be grateful for that I laugh at myself when I begin to doubt it. When one is so blessed as I am right now, it’s kind of silly to focus on the small amounts of negatives that creep in. Of course I will always give a voice to those things inside me (years of keeping that voice locked away has taught me to let it out), but why not lend that voice to all the good in my life? What a novel idea.
If I can find the way to laugh at myself on a hectic, crazy, day-after Christmas workday morning I would guess anyone can find a way to laugh at themselves. None of us come with a warranty and none of us is perfect. I’m just trying to laugh a little at the small imperfections in my life because they are wonderful, too.
Peace.