A Virtue

Pretty much everything we do as a family takes a long time.

When we decide to go out, we have to start getting ready at least 30 minutes before we need to leave. Backpacks need to be packed - medicine needs to be packaged - trips to the bathroom need to be made - extra food needs to be brought - and 'diversions' need to be remembered. I feel like we are being spontaneous if we get out of the house in under 20 minutes.

Getting two children in wheelchairs into our vehicle takes a while also. Then making sure everyone is buckled in and nothing has been forgotten, and we are usually pulling out of the driveway in another 10 minutes.

When we arrive at our destination, we reverse the process - and it takes a while. Chairs unloaded - children loaded - backpacks and other paraphenalia accounted for - there goes another 10 minutes.

But it's when we are leaving a public place - a store or restaurant for example - when our slowness seems to really irritate people. Whether it's the person waiting for our parking spot, or the people whose paths we are blocking with the wheelchair ramp - often they really get annoyed with us.

I've also noticed that annoyance on school mornings when the bus arrives. As with our vehicle, lowering the wheelchair ramp, backing Ronnie's wheelchair onto it, making sure the safety strap is in place, then raising the ramp into the bus takes a few minutes. After Ronnie is on the bus, then it is Ashley's turn to walk to the front of the bus and board via the steps. She can't board the bus until Ronnie is on because the bus aide must be there to assist her up.

There are usually 3-4 cars stacked up in either direction waiting for the bus to turn off the flashing red lights, and I can read the impatience on the driver's faces. Sometimes a driver will get so impatient that they will turn their car around and take another route.

Why the annoyance? Why the impatience? I really don't try to go slowly - it's just the way things are for my family. And really, is an extra five minutes such a burden to others?

My Prayer for the 5th Day After the Snow Storm

Dear God,

I have truly enjoyed the gift of snow You sent last weekend. Thirteen inches! Wow! And to think that we had fourteen inches just 6 weeks ago.

The kids and I really enjoyed Your gift – the beautiful fat flakes of snow falling from the sky – the way our yard and driveway resembled a fluffy down blanket – and the way the sunlight made it glisten like diamonds. When You send a gift, it truly is a magnificent gift!

You probably knew that we would enjoy making hot cocoa while watching movies and staying in our pajamas all day long. However, by the third day, our pajamas were getting a little smelly. And that hot cocoa – the chocolate scent still wafts from where it was spilled on my carpet.

At least the kids had plenty of time to play their video games – killing and maiming all the bad guys and zombies on their virtual planets. But we also had time to play all those board games that seldom come out of our closet – Clue, Monopoly, Fact or Crap, Things, etc. I never realized what little cheaters my children could be when bored though.

And all that food I stocked up on just before Your gift arrived – well, it’s all gone and the kids have resorted to eating their cereal with KoolAid and their toast with spaghetti sauce. Did You know that brownies made with bits of Captain Crunch in them are not all bad?

So, thank you again, God, but please could I ask just one more favor? My city could use some more snow plows and some more road salt. If they had that, perhaps the school buses could get into our neighborhoods and take all our little darlings back to school. And maybe, just maybe, I could have a little bit of hair left after pulling out most of it this past week.

You know all that “Give us this day, our daily bread” stuff? Forget the bread today, dear God, and send the school buses.

Thank you, Amen, Please……