A week without the wife

This week, my wife is spending in Southern California. Amidst the glorious weather and the company of babies, both grown and newborn. I am sure that she is having fun. I am left in the house with our 4 and at first was dreading it, and then realized that I would actually enjoy it.

Last Sunday, the second day that my wife is gone, I was driving with my kids and realized that I really do enjoy their company. Not only because they are my children, but they are truly wonderful kids. Smart and sharp, their wits are so refreshing that I found myself laughing, inside and out. Outside because I was noisily screaming and laughing with them. Inside, because in my heart I feel the beauty of the simple experience that we are sharing.

I remember my Dad spending time with me before, when I was 11 or 12 and he and I would spend the whole morning at the range. Sweaty and tired in the summers of Southeast Asia, my Dad would drive with the windows closed and the A/C off. He would laugh at me complaining about the heat, sweating profusely and melting in the heat. He would tell me that life is sometimes like that, we need to learn to bear the heat and then enjoy the beautiful experience of finally getting home, getting out of the car and heading for a cold shower. Ahhh the wonderful feeling of it all, after the scorching heat.

Learn to live and enjoy the hard tasks in life, and then bask in the wonderful feeling of joyous comfort when it is all over. As my Paping would say "enjoy and bear the heat buddy, a refreshingly cold shower is on its way".