“It’s a gift.”

My life right now is a lot about gifts… There are 4 family birthdays in September alone… with my dad’s falling on October 1st. So within the space of 2 weeks I shop for many different presents (not to mention the many birthday
party gifts to buy). Out of all of these, though, my husband is the most difficult to find.

So my overhear today was a gift in itself. The people were talking of the weather… a perfect fall day here in the northwest is always something to be thankful for. As the weather turns I find myself focusing more and more on the impending loss of our beloved sunshine. Viewed from this angle it doesn’t feel very much like a gift… it feels more like a taunt.

Still… if it is a gift, where are the wrapping paper and bows? Where’s the card that comes with it or the fanfare? Can gifts simply show up, unannounced and potentially unrecognized? Don’t gifts have to be acknowledged in order to be gifts?

Does God ever feel unappreciated?

I am 1:1 this year… one gift that missed its mark and another that hit right at the heart. But then my husband’s birthday is still to come and I am at a loss. I planned to get the laundry done early so he wouldn’t have to
(sorry to my mom friends here, yes, he does most of the washing and folding in our house.) But this morning he beat me to it.

I wanted to get him a special book… the one great idea I had, but it was out of stock. (Sorry honey!) We plan to spend the morning together just the two of us… will that time be enough of a gift, I wonder? Can I shine so
brightly on his day that he can’t fail to recognize it for the gift it is?

I hope so… because as of yet, it’s the best idea I have. I’ll take any ideas you have, so send them on over when you can. And in the meantime, we will all be grateful for the wonderful sunny day.

“What do you think that type of body was built for… Cirque de Soleil?”

The funny part about this conversation was that it was a mom talking about her baby. Not being able to see the baby, I could only imagine what made her think this… was it extra long arms? Early muscular development….
Skin that could break into flame on command?

I have always found it interesting that the physique and personality of dogs are so tied to the jobs they were bred for. Ever try to run away from a small dog and get your heels nipped… yep, that’s a ratter (going back to 17th century dogs like the Brussels Griffon were bred to rid the home of vermin). How about swimming around an Australian shepherd… it drives them crazy because they were bred to keep livestock together.

The question I have is whether humans have ancestral traits not exactly bred into them, but as a result of their geographical roots. I guess it is like the idea of Darwinism… that over time we adapt based on the challenges
of time and place. So that eventually, I suppose if the iPhone is around long enough we will all begin to have thumbs that are smaller than the rest of our fingers.

And then what of the significant traits my daughter possesses? Both what I would consider the good and the bad. Like her amazing imagination or overly strong will. Seen in this light I wonder if these qualities that I judge
are all designed to give her the best chance of succeeding in this world… Maybe she even inherited some of them from me; after all, I can see where these would be useful to a writer. 

Then again, perhaps they are just the traits she needs to become an amazing a Cirque de Soleil performer.