A Mellow Brick Road...: Christmas Preparations

After Daddy got off work today, the three of us made off to the mall while Mommy continued some Christmas preparations at home---and both of you were perfectly behaved! We went to several shops and had to make our way out to the car and then back into the mall to complete our mission. A woman shopper commented how beautiful both of you are, and expressly stated to you, Bodhi, that you have a gorgeous smile and she told you “keep that incredible smile all your life!” The newly established Bodhi and Buddha Best Behaving Children Award goes to each of you for being a very special angel!

While we were concluding our shopping mission, Sister Kelly came by and visited briefly with Mommy. Sister Kelly was gone by the time we got home, so we settled in for our lunch and “bug-juice” drinks. After your lunch, we all happily made our way to an afternoon nap!

The afternoon nap idea didn’t work out so well for you, Buddha, as you insisted on staying up and watching the Indiana Hoosiers lose the basketball game to the Butler Bulldogs. Brother Sean Francis came by and visited at the end of the game, and Mommy arrived home from her own outing at about the same time. Everyone agreed we were in for a real treat since you didn’t take a nap, Mister Buddha! Sure enough, you proved to be one cranky butt for some of the remainder of our evening!

After you awakened from your long nap, Ms. Bodhi, we ventured out together and attempted to stop by a grocery store, but Mommy was famished (she didn’t eat lunch) and so we decided to go out for dinner and treat ourselves to a Christmas dinner choice---Red Lobster! We learned that we would have to wait for about twenty-five minutes to be served, so we ventured down to TJ Max to browse around—we found you a pair of bedroom slippers, Jude, just as our dinner alarm contrivance went offJ. You went berserk, a reminder of your failure to nap this afternoon!

We hurried back to the restaurant and were seated for a nice evening meal. After our dinner, we made our way back to TJ Max and completed our purchase of your house slippers, Buddha. We made our way home to a welcome night’s sleep.

Though neither Mommy nor Daddy spoke out loud about the tragedy in Connecticut it weighed heavily on their hearts and minds, as it did on parents especially, across the country and around the world. Within the aura of profound grief, both of us found ourselves preoccupied with thoughts about our violent culture, our national stupidity concerning guns, and our grossly neglectful societal response to issues relating to mental health care intervention. Mostly, we both closed our eyes and squeezed each of you tighter to our breast, gave thanks for the blessing of two healthy, adorable babies, and gazed into the unknown future awaiting us all with a more profound, grave concern for our safety and our freedom. “Night, night.”