Supposedly it’s best to marry someone who complements your weaknesses. A non-cook should marry a cook. A shy person ought to marry someone more outgoing. A spouse with a mind for numbers might do well with an artistic, ethereal thinker. In theory.
After 15 years of marriage (happy anniversary to us), I’ve concluded that Tom and I are more alike than not, and that it’s our firstborn child who is destined to save our household from utter chaos. Throughout most of her childhood, I’d have said the opposite. I confess to telling Tom in late-night whispers of desperation: “It’s like living with a terrorist!” But now that Viv has reached adolescence, I’ve realized something: She’s simply cut from different cloth than her parents.
Case in point: School supplies. As of this morning—nearly 2 weeks before the term begins—we have bought, sorted and organized the contents of all 3 school kids’ backpacks, all thanks to Vivian. (Well, and with a little help from her parents’ purse.) What we have living with us is not a terrorist in the making but rather a Future Administrator of America. I am grateful for her organizational inclinations and happy to let her take the lead…at least, in this.
Next up: Menu planning. With Viv in charge, maybe we’d find out what we’re eating more than 30 minutes in advance. Radical.
P.S. Yes, I called Tom "Tom" and Viv "Viv." I've decided to ditch the pseudonyms and say who we really are. I'm also renewing my commitment to once-a-week blog posts, however boring they might be. They're just slices of life, not inspirations for posterity (although I'm fully aware they could turn out to be both...especially with a kid like Lucy spouting her sassy, witty, wise words).
2 comments:
This really made us smile. As a fellow control-freak...er..administrator, I totally get Viv's need for order..as evidenced by the wild look in my eye when I realized I had to stop what I was doing and go home during the day I helped with the house project! I'm sure John thinks I'm terrorist material too sometimes! :)
It takes a lot of courage to release the real names of the members of your family.
Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed.
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