Skip to main content

Magical Moment 8, "The Things We Do For Love"

I drove for 2 days in a blizzard to be with my husband for Valentines Day. Not just any blizzard, but the worst one on the East Coast in over a century. With me, I had a very scared, very loud cat and a very squirmy, energetic puppy. I spent the night in a fleabag motel when whiteout conditions would let me go no further. To top it off, my ipod died barely an hour into the journey. (In case you’re wondering, this is why there was no blog yesterday – no internet in the flea bag motel). I began to think about the things we do for love and it reminded me of another road trip in the not so distant past.

Last summer, I made a 24-hour trek from Nebraska to North Carolina with my sister, my dog, and my two nephews ages 3 and 1. In case you’re curious, this involved not only the normal amount four people’s luggage for a month, but dog food, car-seats, diaper bags, strollers, and high-chairs, most of which had to be strapped to the top of my car with bungee cables and old rope found in my parents garage. We set out with our Cheezits, juice, “Bob the Builder” DVD, and a little bit of legroom.

The first half of the trip, we thought it might be a good idea to drive through the night so the boys would sleep. This plan turned out to be a horrible disaster as the boys couldn’t get comfortable in their car-seats enough to sleep soundly and as a result, were up most of the night crying and up all the next day cranky. My sister moved back and forth from the front seat to the back seat trying to appease everyone’s hunger, boredom, and general crabbiness.

Between the 2 hour bottle feedings and potty stops (both animal and human) and listening to the Chipmunks sing the Macarena fifty million times, we made it to the east coast – which brought us a whole new set of issues. A West Virginia State Patrolman pulled us over and screamed at me for several minutes for talking on my cell phone. When I calmly asked him if cell phone usage while driving was illegal in the state of West Virginia, I literally saw his face turn scarlet red and steam shoot out his ears as he yelled, “No it is NOT illegal, but I can still give you a ticket for being difficult!” Well, I didn’t get a “being difficult” ticket and he let me go with only a verbal warning and a boost to his masculine, power hungry ego.

After an accident in Winston-Salem forced us to take an alternate route (which subsequently led to us being hopelessly lost for about 2 hours) and pulled over for a second time, (by a 12 year old officer on his first day at work who said I had poor lane control) we finally made it home. Although it was late that night, we arrived home to an immaculately clean house and prepared hot supper thanks to my husband.

The boys explored the new house with a sense of wonder and excitement that only children possess. All their un-used energy for the past two days was suddenly released as they ran through the new environment, delighted by every new experience. Each room, piece of furniture, and table knick-knack was a new mystery for them to discover.

Ethan found his new thrill when I allowed him to jump on my bed. The excitement was nearly too much for his little body to handle as he struggled to climb the monstrous bed frame and began to vigorously jump, squealing with uncontrolled glee. I watched him, amused as he tried to jump higher and higher, laughing and wired with joy. “I’m so happy, Wisabiff!!!” he yelped with delight, “Ethan’s happy!!!”

At that moment, my heart soared as high as Ethan jumped. I didn’t care about the excruciatingly long trip, or being pulled over, or the smashed cheerios now permanently embedded into my car seats and floor. All I cared about was hugging Ethan as hard as I could. I would have given him a pony, an airplane, or let him jump on my bed until every spring was destroyed if it would make him that happy again. I nearly burst open with love as I said, “I’m happy too, Ethan.” I hope he feels that kind of joy again and again in his life because every moment of his joy will surely bring countless more moments of mine.

Comments

Debbie said…
The things that we will do just to make children happy. I know that I let the grandkids do things that I would never let my boys.
Regina Teague said…
awwww.....that was the best summer ever at your house! And it was amazing of Eddie, who had individual piles of presents for each one of us, and a yummy supper :)

Popular posts from this blog

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at  Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do  not  endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty.  And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-...