Why the Critter?

 

Epiphany

I am a working mother who lives, plays, and, well, works out in the burbs. I’m happily married to a teacher, have two kids, and keep a handful of pet fish with a population sustainability issue. My family is my life, even on a compressed schedule, although life sometimes gets in the way of micromanaging the small, sweaty stuff that needs 24-hour maintenance.

Not too long ago, my three-year old son threw a wrench into my well-oiled sanity, asked me to sit down with him, and requested a drawing. He is brilliant at barking orders for customized five-second art work; heaven help me if I misinterpret his instructions. “What would you like?” After very brief soul-searching, he chose a helicopter-caterpillar. Just like that. Years of art classes had finally paid off. I drew the most sophisticated little critter with blade-spinning headwear I could muster while marveling at his outlook on life, evolutionary and engineering impossibilities aside. A green crayon and the back of a to-do list sufficed to help me remember why life in general, and motherhood specifically, rocks, even if you can’t always see beauty beyond the crayon wrapper.

I have captured a dirty sock laundry list of mundane, sometimes hair-pulling observations, as seen from the brim of my coffee cup, for all the unsung heroes in our wonderful community.