This Too Shall Pass
Children have so many stages and phases that they go through.
I'm not sure if it is to make us appreciate the wonderful moments more or just a cruel joke by God to speed up our aging process.
I do look forward to the part of my day when my daughter gets home from school.
I smile when I hear the bus go by, knowing in about three minutes she'll be bounding in the door.
I feel so fortunate that she shares her thoughts with me at such a crucial time in her life.
"How was your day, honey," I say as I greet her at the door full of anticipation to share a special moment.
"It was really funny.
" "What?" "When he did that.
" "Who?" "Kyle.
" "Kyle who?" "Kyle, in math class.
" "What did Kyle do in math?" "He was so funny.
" I'm exhausted already and my daughter has only been home from school for two minutes.
I explain again like a broken record (perhaps it is not sinking in because she doesn't know what a record is) that she needs to start stories from the beginning.
I explain that if I wasn't there, I don't know what she is talking about.
It seems like such an easy concept for an adult but it's somehow it's a skill lost on my 13 year old.
So, I decide to better explain myself.
I'm an educated writer, I can do this.
I tell her that she needs to tell a story in chronological order.
"What?" I explain that she can set the stage, but needs to start from the beginning so I know what it is she's talking about.
"Why?" So, I further elaborate that it is confusing to your audience if you just throw out the ending with no explanation.
You need to let people know: who, what, where, why, or when.
It is just the way it is done.
"What are you talking about?" "You're story, about Kyle! And what was funny about it?" She looked at me like I made absolutely no sense.
There was not even a spark of understanding what I was talking about.
"I was only going to tell you that today in math Kyle fell asleep and fell off of his chair.
" "Why didn't you just say that from the beginning?" "Geez, you never gave me a chance," she said.
Here is where I cut my losses in an attempt to keep my sanity.
"Oh.
Go do your homework.
"
I'm not sure if it is to make us appreciate the wonderful moments more or just a cruel joke by God to speed up our aging process.
I do look forward to the part of my day when my daughter gets home from school.
I smile when I hear the bus go by, knowing in about three minutes she'll be bounding in the door.
I feel so fortunate that she shares her thoughts with me at such a crucial time in her life.
"How was your day, honey," I say as I greet her at the door full of anticipation to share a special moment.
"It was really funny.
" "What?" "When he did that.
" "Who?" "Kyle.
" "Kyle who?" "Kyle, in math class.
" "What did Kyle do in math?" "He was so funny.
" I'm exhausted already and my daughter has only been home from school for two minutes.
I explain again like a broken record (perhaps it is not sinking in because she doesn't know what a record is) that she needs to start stories from the beginning.
I explain that if I wasn't there, I don't know what she is talking about.
It seems like such an easy concept for an adult but it's somehow it's a skill lost on my 13 year old.
So, I decide to better explain myself.
I'm an educated writer, I can do this.
I tell her that she needs to tell a story in chronological order.
"What?" I explain that she can set the stage, but needs to start from the beginning so I know what it is she's talking about.
"Why?" So, I further elaborate that it is confusing to your audience if you just throw out the ending with no explanation.
You need to let people know: who, what, where, why, or when.
It is just the way it is done.
"What are you talking about?" "You're story, about Kyle! And what was funny about it?" She looked at me like I made absolutely no sense.
There was not even a spark of understanding what I was talking about.
"I was only going to tell you that today in math Kyle fell asleep and fell off of his chair.
" "Why didn't you just say that from the beginning?" "Geez, you never gave me a chance," she said.
Here is where I cut my losses in an attempt to keep my sanity.
"Oh.
Go do your homework.
"
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