What Makes Me Smile

On Valentine's Day my husband surprised me with flowers. The flowers were a nice surprise, the real gift was just going to the grocery store for me. I hate grocery shopping and for my husband to do it late Sunday night was a treat in itself. The flowers were sweet and I enjoyed looking at them on my table each day.

A week later the flowers were dead and as I was throwing them out my oldest son wanted to know why we couldn't keep them. I tried to explain that cut flowers in a vase only last a short time. Flowers outside can stay alive longer. He soon lost interest in the biology lesson and was off to a new game.

One Saturday a short time later, my husband took the two older boys to Home Depot. This was a Saturday where I was supposed to be watching the kids and my husband was supposed to be working on the bathroom. In the past we have done major house projects that involved my husband spending nights and weekends working. We did ok with that stage of life. But since the third boy came along, it has been harder to give up dad on the weekends. By Saturday both the boys and I are desperate for dad and begrudge any work he has to do. On this Saturday, I will confess I was not in the best of moods. One might say I was even a little cranky. My husband and I were not communicating in our usual stellar way and the boys may have picked up on the slight tension in the house.

As I sat waiting for them to return from Home Depot so I could go on the errands I had planned, I tried to think positive thoughts. Remember, all of this work brings you one step closer to moving Finn to his own room. It was mildly successful. Then I heard the door open and a little boy voice say, "Close your eyes, Mom!". I obediently closed them and waited to hear "Surprise!". When I opened my eyes my 4 (almost 5) year old son was holding a six pack of purple primroses. It was a complete surprise. As they walked through Home Depot, my son saw the flowers and told his dad they needed to buy some flowers. That would make mom happy, he said.

That very day we went outside and planted them. Two in our container on the porch and four under the weeping pussy willow tree. Everytime I open the door, or walk out to the car, or look out the window, I see these bright purple flowers. And everytime I smile.

This special boy did indeed make me happy.