ann kiemel

a funny story that I told my sister jan ...

i was at karen's house,
taking care of her golden retriever while
she was going to be gone for the week-end.

at some point, my youngest son and his wife wanted
to get away, and wondered if i would keep their baby
(he walks on water at 13 months...smile)...and casually
asked if i would keep junior, their still quite young pit
bull. after all, he would have a playmate with casey,
the mild, calm golden retriever.

well, karen was kind enough to say, "sure".
not having any idea of junior's disposition.
but i did, and doubts filled my mind.

the door bell rang, and opening the door,
there stood brandt and jasmine and colben....with junior.

junior bounded in, slipping and sliding on all fours across
an all-wood floor with no traction, and instinctually flew
between our legs and headed right to casey's food bowl.
we just stood there horrified.

jan, you would have been so embarrassed.
junior proceeded to enhale an entire bowl of the golden
retriever's food for the day. our mouths were gaping open,
trying to process all this. he turned, suddenly, and regurgitated
the entire meal, and went outside and pooped right out side the
door on the patio.

we were horrified.
it was not our home.
karen hadn't even met my youngest son before.
and he and jasmine were grabbing rags and paper towels,
rushing in trying to clean up the mess.
needless to say, junior is not invited back to my house or
karen's or anyone else's.

jan, sometimes this is how we live life, don't you think?
slipping and sliding and completely out-of-cpntrol.

my sister and i sat and laughed and laughed.
this is kind of a picture of life, jan said.
no self-control. no regard for the damage we've left
behind. we all, at times, get ahead of God. and leave
a trail of catastrophe without apologizing or even knowing
the damage we've done.

stop.
slow down.
let God calm our pace,
and be in control instead of us.