God Bless Erma Bombeck ...

Hi There,

One of my Christmas presents this year was a Kindle and I find it a real boon  ...  The first thing I did was to order a couple of books written by Erma Bombeck,  I became addicted to her books several years ago (and we're talking about.... 30 years here folks)   Up until now I had hit a brick wall as far as getting a hold of any more of them... Our library had closed and they had come to an end as far as ordering any more of them  a year before that.....  I must admit I was totally bereft...  Now for anyone who has never heard of Erma Bombeck I must tell you that she had a real gift for happiness and for making you feel as though you were in her home while she regaled us 'her readers' with funny episodes from her life.  Stories of her way of bringing up her kids and of how she looked at life could have me in kinks of laughter....   So as I said, I am at the moment working my way through 'At Wit's End'  and she is working her magic with me again... 
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I look at him and I see a smile ... like Halloween, I see two short legs that won't get him a drink of water without a stool under them.  I see two pudgy hands that can't work together to hold a slippery bar of soap I see a shock of red hair that doesn't come up to his fathers's belt buckle.  I see a little boy who never went to the restroom all during nursery school because he didn't want to admit he couldn't spell BOYS from GIRLS on the door.

I should have prepared him more.  I piffled away all that time on Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Mary Poppins.  I should've dealt with the basic realities like tolerance, forgiveness, compassion, and honesty.  For from this day forward his world can only widen.  An existence that began in a crib, grew to a house, and extends over a two-block bicycle ride will now go even  beyond that...  

I will now share him with another woman, other adults, other children, other opinions, other points of view.  I am no longer leading.  I am standing behind him ready to guide from a new position.  Who is this woman who will spend more daylight hours with him than I ?   Please Miss Chalkdust or whatever, give him the patience and gentleness he needs.  Please have a soft lap and a warm smile.  Please don't be too pretty or too smart, lest I suffer from the comparison.

Maybe I should pin a note on his sweater to make sure she understands...  I could say, "Dear Miss Chalkdust, or whatever:  I submit to your tender, loving care my son, who is a little shy and a lot stubborn.  Who can't cope yet with zippers that stick or buttons on sweaters that don't come out even.  One who makes his 5's sideways but works seriously and in earnest.  

I may sue you for alienation of affection, but for the moment, God Bless You! "   Oh Lord,  there is no time for a note.  The bus is here.  It's such a big bus.  Why would they send their largest bus for someone so small ?  He is gone.  He didn't even look back to wave...   

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I was right there just looking at this going on while I was reading ...  and it just took me back to when my two boys were starting school,  as I was reading me being a soppy mare, I was moved  to tears...  She (that was Erma)  could do that as easy as bring me to total belly trembling laughter ...  If you should manage to get a hold of any of her books I would certainly heartily recommend them. 

Oh and  BTW. If  I happen to hear some hearty laughter at night I'll know you've managed to get hold of some funny ' Erma Bombeck ' .books.

Cheers, Kate xxx.