Part Two: Foresight

This is part two of a two part series. To read part one. please catch up here. 

Years passed. The Small Table was still outside on the patio. By this time, his wood was stripped on the most exposed side. The once shiny, polished finish had turned black in areas. Dust and pollen accumulated on top. The Small Table was losing hope. He had waited through many changing seasons, and still, nobody came for him. 

One day, Foresight entered this house. Foresight surveyed the area. Foresight looked inside the pantry. Foresight looked in the refrigerator. Foresight looked in the freezer. There would be a time and place for dealing with these areas. By chance, Foresight opened the blinds to the patio door and stumbled upon The Small Table. 

Foresight asked The Follower if The Small Table was being used. The Follower did not use him. There was no need to ask The Fool as that is why The Small Table was rejected in the first place. Foresight cleaned, wiped, disassembled, and transported The Small Table away.

The Small Table was elated. He was so happy to be found. He was so glad to be rescued from the patio. He was ready for his makeover.

Foresight had a vision of the beauty which could be revealed from The Small Table. There would be a new coat of paint. Choosing the color would be slightly trickier. Foresight debated white. Gray. Navy. Even a bright shade of teal was considered. But in the end, Foresight made the decision to leave the top natural and stain it. The legs would be painted white to create an elegant, modern look. 

It's so nice to have a covered workspace in the garage, even with two cars inside...😊

Of course, the actual transformation process is never easy. The Small Table had to endure a generous layer of sanding to remove all the damage and ensure an even coat of new stain and paint. On went a generous coat of stain as well as three layers of poly to protect the surface. The Small Table would be protected and taken care of. 

The first coat of primer never looks like much, but you have to trust the process.

Each of the legs was meticulously primed and painted white with a satin finish. You would never have guessed what The Small Table had been through from seeing it now. 

The Small Table hopes to be able to listen to children laughing. The sounds of voices in conversation. He wants to be colored on, be painted on. He wants to be the surface to rest bowls of freshly cooked meals. He wants to soak in the smells of various cuisines. He wants to support the pages of a book or the paper in a notebook as someone studies, completes homework, or writes for fun. Yes, he wants to be used and worn over time in these ways. Yes, he wants his surface to be occasionally scratched or marked. 

These ways, however destructive they can be, are much better than being left outside to the mercy of the weather. These ways, however destructive they can be, are much better than suffocating under a pile of things. These ways, however destructive they can be, are much better than being rejected. 

Because these are the ways in which love and purpose happen. And Foresight was able to see it. 

Part One: The Fool and the Follower

The Follower lived in a beautiful house with not so beautiful things. There were not many and the house felt sparse, but The Follower didn't care. They worked, they sufficed , and there were no complaints. One day, The Fool entered this beautiful house. The Fool took a look around and considered. This house was not beautiful enough. It needed more beautiful things. 

So The Fool went shopping and purchased items. Beautiful items. New items. And in they started. At first, it was different. Different was not something The Follower was used to. The Follower was discontent and voiced this discontentment. The Fool didn't listen. In came more beautiful things. Beautiful things became just things. The Follower slowly lost a voice, lost the discontentment, and let it happen. 

Slowly, the house of not so beautiful things that was sparsely filled became the house of overcrowded beautiful things. Items which individually could have been decorative, beautiful, lovely, now became a plethora of things, overcrowding countertops. Storage was needed to store the excess items. Beautiful things became forgotten because they were piled on top of each other. You couldn't even identify one item at a time. It was all so overwhelming to look at. 

The beautiful things all together became not so beautiful. And slowly, this once beautiful house with not so beautiful things became an ugly house with ugly things. But The Fool did not notice how ugly the things were becoming. The Fool wanted more and more. In everything came. An item here. An item there. Slowly, steadily. And The Follower did not say a word. 

In the midst of this infiltration, The Fool became discontent with a table. This table was too small for The Fool. It wasn't large enough to hold all the things The Fool wanted to display. Display is an understatement. The Fool asked for a Larger Table and The Follower obliged. 

Now The Small Table was one of the few "beautiful" items in the once beautiful house. It was a table of solid wood, kept in very good condition for its age. But The Fool didn't want it. And The Follower didn't see it. In barged the larger table. Next to a wooden shelf. Next to a baker's rack blocking a wall of windows. Next to a floor filled with wastebaskets, four on the floor within a 25 foot distance. The empty space around what used to be the smaller table lessened. The space felt even more cramped and uncomfortable. 

The Small Table was unwanted. The Follower did not know what to do with it. The Fool didn't want it. There was no space in other rooms for the smaller table to live. So you know what happened? The Small Table was relegated to the back patio. To The Fool and The Follower, it was problem solved. They didn't want it, they didn't see it.

The Small Table was now exposed to the elements. He saw the hot sun of summer and the cold snow and ice of winter. He felt the strong winds brush against his surface. A wasp made a home underneath an eave. Dust and pollen blew around him, settling on top. The Small Table stayed like this for years and years. But you know what? He was happier outside exposed to the elements than he was inside. Because inside the once beautiful house was suffocating. Inside the once beautiful house, he went unnoticed under and next to the piles and piles of things. 

Outside, he was in plain sight. Yes, he was getting weathered by the elements, but he was visible. And the smaller table made a vow to persevere until someone noticed his beauty. 

Years later, Foresight came upon this house....

Part Two

Single Parenting Week

Since we've had kids, my husband has had to leave for work trips four times. The first time was when my daughter was six weeks old. That was an absolute nightmare and I was very pissed about that trip. The second time was when my daughter was 22 months old and I was 30 weeks pregnant. After that trip, I jokingly hoped he wouldn't have to travel for the next 2+ years. My wish came true!....at the expense of Covid. 

The first trip he took after Covid was last summer. I had a four year old and a two year old. I don't remember it being too bad, but I also don't remember what happened. He took another trip last week and I was left with a five year old and a three year old. We had LOTS of fun when Daddy was gone. There were definitely multiple moments where I wanted to scream at them and make them disappear temporarily, but overall, it was a really fun week with my kids. 

I took the week off work, but honestly, I traded it for more work and no pay. My husband did keep up his end of the bargain of always buying me a gift when he goes out of town and leaves me with the kids. I was impressed by his thoughtfulness and how useful this gift was.

He got me (us) fridge magnet letters! They're so fun. We write each other messages and even label the dishes for the week. It's like an alternative to our dry erase board except more hands-on.

My daughter has also taken on to creating her own words and asking me to pronounce them. 

This one was not as impressive as the one she made last night. I do like dmydym though. If only that were a real word...

Needless to say, it was a relief to have him back on Friday after a solid 96 hours by myself. 

I actually kind of miss those blog quizzes we used to put up as teenagers on our xanga and myspace 20+ years ago for our friends to fill out and see who knew us best. I wanted to bring one back for fun but actually offer a reward for the person with the most correct answers. So I made a quiz using a Google Form based off of my week as a single parent. The person with the most correct answers will receive a gift card of their choice from me. 

I actually don't even know if my husband knows all the answers to this quiz. But I promise you if his is the top winner, it won't count :) 

I'm accepting quiz entries until 12:00AM Friday April 14th, 2023. 

Maybe this will be a new tradition I start when my husband goes out of town for work. We'll see. 😄

Branches and Roots

Last year was arguably one of the hardest years of my life. I experienced things I never thought I would. I testified in court. I wrote letters to the county jail. I went to a prison to visit an inmate. Yeah, the city in Texas that's famous for their penitentiary? Most people just drive down 45 and pass the wire fence and bright lights. That's not even where the actual prison is. The actual prison is in the middle of downtown Huntsville. And I've been there. 

Why did I do all this? Because I know without a doubt this person is innocent of the crime. I can't directly change the circumstance, but I can do my part in being a friend, and in loving the people who are affected.

When this happened, I had a vision to commission an artwork. In some ways, I wanted the artwork to be commemorative. In other ways, I wanted it to be a beautiful piece of art for people to find their own story. But I wanted a very specific image. I wanted to see trees intertwined in the branches to where you could not see where one tree ended and the second tree began. But I wanted the focus to be on the intertwined-ness of the trees. No fancy leaves or flowers. I wanted to see the branches touch each other and merge into one. 

I explained this vision to my friend who happens to be an artist. I asked if she could make it happen. She showed me some drafts and we molded this idea of mine into reality. She was the one who actually told me that trees begin to share roots over time as they grow and share each other's space. 

Somewhere from the time this vision of mine was born, my children and I went to the library and found this book: Apple and Magnolia. 

I have a little secret. I've always judged books by their covers. I love seeing beautiful covers. It makes me more excited and generally more happy to open the book and want to read it. This children's book drew me in. I love the way the trees are illustrated with a youthful, fluffy look. I love that the title of the book is written in rainbow letters. And the thin piece of yarn twirled through the two trees gives it a dainty elegance. I had no idea what the book was about, I just saw the cover and wanted to check it out.

I took it home and read it. I can't remember if the first time I read it was with my children or if I just read it myself. Sometimes I do that...just read the books I check out for my children by myself. This book illustrated the idea I had for the intertwined trees perfectly. I don't want to spoil the book as it's a really special story, but it involves the idea of trees helping each other grow. 

When someone helps us, we automatically think, we need to repay the person who helped us. But what if that person is not in need of help? Why not redirect the help we want to give to someone else who needs it? I think this idea should be more widespread. Instead of limiting the assistance to a circular loop, why not spread it out further? 

I was and still am very impressed with the way my commission turned out. The way she twisted the fabric in the branches as she stitched added a lovely texture to the piece. She even outlined the shadows of the tree roots and how they merge with the trees beside them. I'm so glad she's moved closer and I was able to visit her last Christmas. You can check out the rest of her work at her site. 

This year has proven no easier than last year. I still feel spread thin most weeks. But there's a strange joy in knowing I am linking my branches and growing my roots into other trees. It's how we grow stronger.