Lucky Girl

One time, when I was really young, I got myself in a mess.  Mama had been working really hard painting my room a lovely new color that I can't seem to remember.  I remember the smell, but not the color.  Odd, but anyway...I wasn't allowed in to watch, and I'm sure I wasn't happy about that.

But then, she took a break, and I decided to go ahead and sneak in and take a quick look.  At some point while I was enjoying the view of my freshly painted room, I relaxed.  I just sort of fell back on the wall to support myself and enjoy the lovely view.  Bad mistake.

I was horrified.  I remember hiding under the kitchen table.  I remember how sticky and wet the paint felt in my hair.  I remember thinking that if my hair wasn't so white that maybe she wouldn't notice.

I was there under the table for what seemed like an eternity, but probably only amounted to five or ten minutes.  I heard her her call my name.  Then, there she was.

Busted.

She looked at me under the table.

I held my breath.

And then, the oddest thing happened.

She laughed.

She laughed and laughed and laughed.  It was hysterical like laughing.

I'll never forget it.  I think I looked at her like she had lost her mind.

 

And I thought I would share with you the fact that I thought about it this week.

She taught me to laugh off the things that just really don't matter.  I'm not good at it all the time, and I'm sure she wasn't either.  But every now and then, I plan on just laughing.

What the hell?  It worked for her.  I didn't go back in there till it was nice and dry.  I guess I figured I wouldn't be that lucky next time.

I can't go home anymore.

It's really just a bunch of bricks now that I think about it.

That house didn't build me.

She did.

I'm a lucky girl.