Surprising Carol

By Paul Roberts

     Carol loves surprises. Not the scary, shocking kind of surprises that come at random moments in horror movies; she likes the sweet, personal “I love you” surprises that come when someone she cares deeply for - like me - manages to surprise her, in small ways or large ways, with some act that says “I’ve been thinking of you, and planning for you, and here is how I’m showing how I love you today.

     It doesn’t always have to be a big thing, like the time I quoted one of Shakespeare’s sonnets to her in front of sixty of her sorority sisters and then asked her to marry me (she said yes, in case you were wondering). Sometimes it is a small thing, like the landscaping in the front corner of the yard that Zoe and Jason and I installed while she was in Italy; or cleaning the kitchen while she sleeps in on a Saturday morning; or writing a riddle for her to solve on Mother’s Day so she could discover where she was headed with Molly and I this past Sunday. Each of those scenarios have sufficed at one time or another to keep me in her good graces for another season of time.

     Sunday, I thought the riddle worked great. It took her from Kellogg to Coeur d’Alene to discern our destination for the day, and she was sufficiently pleased with the excursion to share it with some family and friends when all was said and done. But in case you missed it, here is the puzzle she was given to solve:

A Riddle for Carol on Mother’s Day

I skip and trip

         I jump and fall,

and to the billows above I call

                              “Come play with me,

and stay with me

        and then you can 

                                each day be me.

We’ll romp and stomp and

                 hop 

                            on the bed;

we’ll fly into the sky instead

                                         of lying down

               for rest and ease;

we’ll run in the wind and

            jump                  at the trees

                         and somersault in the sky 

           like bees.

We’ll wear the sun         like a golden crown

and chase away each forlorn frown

                               that dances with us in my playground.”

     Carol was given this poem as we picked up Molly, and headed down the road. She knew the first stop was CDA, but had to read and re-read to solve the poetic puzzle, with only a few added hints from yours truly. We made it to our “secret” destination, enjoyed our time there and then headed for some shopping and dinner. All in all, a great Creative Rendezvous for the three of us.

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Are you keeping up with finding time for yourself with the occasional Creative Rendezvous and/or Weekly Awareness appointment? Share with our community your struggles or successes.

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