We went to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, only it was just the three of us: Me, Fiance, and my 13-year-old son. My parents deserted us for the other daughter’s family in Kansas City
Their house is lovely, tucked in a sweet little mountain town, with a wraparound deck and an inferno for a fireplace. The perfect setting for a quiet little Thanksgiving dinner.
At one point on Thursday, I sent the kid out to get more firewood. He’s an intelligent boy, but not terribly bright sometimes. There was wood on the deck, but he trekked all the way out into the yard to the auxillary woodpile. His reasoning: “The wood on the deck is heavier.”
On his last trip out, I glanced out the kitchen window and saw him skulking around outside the deck in the snow, his head whipping this way and that. He looked … sketchy. This was an alarm bell for me, because he’s not a sketchy kid.
I stepped out onto the deck and gazed at the only visible part of him – his sweet little face … the one that’s told me a thousand dreams, the one that called me “Mommy” and kissed teddy bears. My heart swelled with love at that face. But it was looking down, wracked with concentration.
“What are you doing?” I asked sharply.
He jumped. Shifted. Looked at me with trepidation.
“I’m, um, going in the snow.”
In the backyard, with neighbors all around, he was peeing in the snow. OUTSIDE. IN FRONT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
Consumed with laughter and anger, I ducked back into the house to tell Fiance about what was going on. He was, as he usually is, completely unaffected. “What’s the big deal, Betty? You just don’t understand boys.”
Completely outnumbered, I asked the kid what he was thinking, doing that, in his grandparents’ backyard, where anyone could see.
“I looked around. No one was watching. It was safe. I was hidden.”
He stopped and peered at me thoughtfully.
“Besides, Mom. Sometimes a boy has to pee in the snow, just to see what happens.”
Sometimes You Have to Pee In the Snow, Just to See What Happens
How many times in our lives do we just blindly do what we’re told, not trying anything new and different, because other people have convinced us of outcomes to things we’ve never even experienced?
How many times do we NOT do something new, because we’re afraid of reprimanding or failure or … even worse … the dreaded blow of judgment?
If any of those had crossed the kid’s mind, he’d have never brazenly decorated the snow, an act that clearly brought him wonderment and curiosity. While I don’t condone public urination, I’m proud of him for being courageous enough to suffer my wrath for a harmless, silly thing.
No wrath ensued, though, because of this:
After that moment, I think everyone should figuratively pee in the snow, just to see what happens.
Whether it’s putting random food on your face, writing poetry and then sharing it, buying a lip balm at the grocery store and then giving it to the woman who rang it up – try something new, just to see what happens.
Who really cares what the neighbors think, anyway?
Today’s Mission: Something New
It doesn’t matter what it is: Today, do something new.
The smallest things sometimes make the biggest impact on your outlook.
Don’t think about it. Don’t dwell on it. When an inspiration hits you, do it.
NO FEAR.
Just do it.
And when you’re done, come back and tell me what it was, what you felt like doing it, and what happened as a result.
Or, if you’ve recently done something silly and new, tell me about THAT. (And then go do something else.)
I can’t wait to find out what new thing I do …
(Hm … there’s still snow on the ground …)
Natural Makeup Hacks: Homemade Bronzer/Contour Powder
Hilarious! I wish I had some snow around here… I did, however, buy some herbs and am going to make some lovely sachets as Christmas gifts this year. Just waiting for them to show up on my door step.
LMAO! This is hilarious! The message is true, though…I’m going to try to make the lovely men in my life (hubby, dad, father-in-law, and an uncle) some homemade shaving cream for Christmas. I’ve found about a million different recipes, so I have to decide which one I’m going to try once and for all. Hopefully it will work 🙂
Ok, it does not snow where I am, so THAT’S off the table. I am NOT peeing in the frost.
But you know how I am about leaps.
I love this.
And I like Pixie’s thought. There ARE too many outrageous dresses to be worn.
Hmmm….mine haven’t been worn for a while…
I’m going to try to make compact face powder from rice powder and water. I find something suggesting rubbing alcohol but my skin is dry as it is.
Not that I’ve really care about what neighbours think. Life is too short. There are too many outrageous dresses to be worn. Too much fun to be had.
Ha! Now it’s your turn to make me laugh out loud! I needed it too (cruddy day), so thanks for that. I promise I’ll do something “new” tomorrow. Maybe I’ll embroider a pillow with my new favorite saying on it… “Sometimes a boy has to pee in the snow, just to see what happens” (kinda just says it all). 🙂
haha Sometimes you DO have to “pee in the snow” just to see what happens!
Ha. This is funny. I was JUST talking to my mom this morning about how I feel sad for kids when their parents tell an embarrassing story about them to make a point. Like when grandpa used to tell stories about me in his sermons…I’d get so mad.
It’s okay. I asked for his permission. He was proud of it, after Skip egged him on.
I have bad news about Snooter. Call me when you have a minute.
OMG,that just really took me back to when my boys were small. We used to go on lots of hikes in the woods together, and I’d always remind them to use the washroom before we left. Without fail, they would desperately need to pee while we were in the middle of the woods. Finally, one time when I was absolutely exasperated (didn’t I *tell* you to go before we left?!?!?!) they admitted that they loved peeing in the woods 🙂 I had totally forgotten about that..they’re 13 and 11 now and as far as I know are no longer enamored with outdoor urination (but hey, what do I know? Maybe they still pee in the woods when I’m not around, lol).
As far as trying something new…well, I tried your coconut and sugar hand scrub the other day and I Totally Love It 🙂
Haha. Boys. I’ll never understand them, that’s for sure.
Yay for the coconut hand scrub! Try just the coconut on your face sometime. It’s even more awesome!
I went to a new butcher today. Which, unfortunately, turned out to be a bust. But on the way home on the radio they were interviewing this guy who writes books about getting lost. Walking through your city and just going a different way to see where it takes you.
Y’know, I don’t know a single butcher here in Colorado Springs, other than, like, Whole Foods … so yay for you having more than one butcher option!
That’s cause to celebrate, itself, from this vantage point.
hilarious…and so true. I’ll try and think of something…!
Sarah M
Oooh. You have to share if you did something. What was it??