Grandparents in Town (CTL 4)

Countdown to Laughter

Issue 4

Nancy has been reading “Operating Instructions” by Anne Lamott, and “Hello My Name is Mommy” by Sheri Lynch. Both books are down-to-earth and funny looks at parenting a new born. Here is a quote from “Hello”

“Childbirth takes a serious toll on a woman’s body, leaving her weary, depleted, sore and sometimes –as in the case of a C-section- not fully mobile. Best case scenario: You’re tired. Really tired. Worst case scenario: You’re spending part of each day holding a bag of frozen peas to a part of your body you never dreamed would yearn for that kind of intimate encounter with the Jolly Green giant.”

These books make her laugh out loud and cry, often simultaneously.

My folks are here this weekend in Greensboro. I love my folks, but there isn’t a huge area where our interests overlap. Dad loves Civil war (excuse me, ‘The War of Northern Aggression’) history, and doing meticulous research into finding out how many Englishmen his Scottish ancestors killed. Mom could spend all day shopping at a “Ross” clothing store. Riding around in a strange city, she can spot a Ross, T.J. Maxx, or Marshall’s sign from miles away. I even think she has some sort of inner alarm clock that will wake her up if she come with in a half mile of any of the previously mentioned stores.

To be fair, my pop was a good sport when I tried to get him to play the Demolition Derby game on X-Box. I could always find his car. It was the one that managed to pin itself into a corner of the arena, and was immediately battered into scrap metal by Cyber-rednecks.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the similarities I have with my parents. I think I have inherited my mother’s generosity and creative abilities. I can easily converse with any stranger just like my old man. I realize my own son may end up nothing like me, so what are the important things that I want to instill in him? In my ideal life for him, he goes into a life of science or engineering, and uses his knowledge to help the less fortunate. What if he becomes a (God forbid.) English major?

I’ve come up with a short list of five things I hope to instill in my son.

• I hope he values intelligence and curiosity.
• I hope he learns the power of humor. Laughter can be helpful even in the darkest times.
• I hope he is tenderhearted.
• I hope he has courage. Failure and pain are inevitable in life. You can’t be afraid of them or they will control you.
• Question the status quo. If you don’t get a good answer, work for a better system.(Except when dad says so, them you better believe him, or he’ll give you something to cry about.)

In other news, Nancy discovered that she has a mole in her belly button that she never knew about. Wow, you learn so much about yourself when you are pregnant!!!!

Big Matt