ethoughts weekly- Issue 154

March 24, 2007

Recent Firsts

It has been a time of strange firsts.

It was the first time my daughter tried to shave her legs, unassisted, of course. At four years old, it’s not the best of scenarios. The Gillette Fusion razor boasts a fantastic four knives, aren’t we all impressed? Excuse the sarcasm, I’m experiencing what psychologists sometimes term “an emotional mechanism” to distract myself from my anxiety. You’ll be happy to know, she is recovering very well.

It was the first time I bought cowboy boots, with Boot Agent and Line Dance Instructor Extraordinaire, The Ever-Patient, but sometimes absent-minded Professor Jane, (and I mean that in love.) If one is female, it seems one still says cowboy boots, rather than, cowgirl boots, which I don’t really understand. Country and Western culture is still something quite foreign to me, a Yankee, but I’m saddling up. I’ve taken to an alter ego of sorts, to don such footwear, and the rest. All this will have to remain a greatly veiled mystery to many for the time being, as I am doing in-depth research for a fabulous new novel. That is the story I’m sticking with… more on that some other time. Did I say novel? I meant navel. Nevermind.

For the first time, I put a deposit on a feather-light road bike. It’s not really super lightweight, but compared to my mountain, which I’ve declared is like peddling a rock, this bike promises to be a big improvement. No, I didn't buy it. That would mean commitment, but I'm engaged. I'm not serious considering any other bikes at the moment, but sometimes I take short trips on others. I'll quickly drop this subject now, as it seems like I'm talking about something quite different. My cycling mentor friend “Clicked-In Pam” is beginning to understand I need adult supervision on the byways. Prayer coverage is greatly appreciated, for our safety, and her nerves.

It’s also the first time a book publisher as ever said, if you do “such-and-such” we’re prepared to make you an offer. This occurrence is both euphoric and troubling. There is much to sort out, and the bitty light at the tunnel’s end, while apparent, can be occasionally mistaken for some phenomenon of low blood pressure, floaters. I figure God wrote it, and so he has to do the re-write too. I of course have to contend with the typing, and oddly enough spell check, which honestly, I’ll never understand. I hope in a few semesters during seminary, Systematic Theology will cover that issue.

And lastly, it has been the first time, my son, who just turned seven, has started taking surveys, of sorts. He just got starting speaking in sentences at five years old. He’s now saying things like, “What’s your favorite train?” or “What’s your favorite food?” or “What’s your favorite color?” (And other “What’s your favorite” questions.) If you answer that your favorite train is "a diesel", which is his favorite, he says “Good,” and seems very satisfied. He’s doing this survey stuff independently. He’s waiting for our responses. This really marks a big step in his development. It's not a typical proud parent moment, but it's "da bomb" for me, (I got a little urban there.) It’s been such a pleasure to hear these questions, and interact with him this way. He’s becoming easier to communicate with all the time, and it’s a gift from God and truly an answer to so many prayers. Morning by morning new mercies I see and hear.

My new migraine medication has really affected my levels of function, awareness and greatly increased my fatigue. I usually feel like I am, or I could be, or should be sleeping. I’m not nearly half as sharp as a four blade Fusion razor, and far less than ordinary now. I explained to my husband Tim this means it’s like I’ve lost all my super powers. I think he took this as some sort of insult, but I’m not sure why. He then explained to me, slowly and using very small and simple words, that it takes me awhile to understand things now when he talks to me, but I think, he was just buttering me up. It is my hope that over the next few weeks, my body and brain will adjust, and I’ll be in better form. I’m sure God will use this time to continue to teach me things, that I can share. Thank you for your continued support, and love.

Lisa DeLay

©2007