To Lily,
Oh, yes, the Internet sure can make you sing several verses of "It's a Small World, After All!"
Okay, let's laugh a little!
Kentucky, 1987, I believe. That would mean my daughter was 4, my son not yet 2. Evening. Kids were asleep upstairs, Hubster and I are watching TV. The Tornado Warning message comes on the tube, for our county. Hubster can hear the siren from downtown Radcliff. I ask him, "Do you think we should go to the basement?" He's got the concerned look on his face, and said, "Yeah, I think it would be a good idea."
4-year-old daughter is asleep upstairs with a busted leg. The previous week, she had "slipted and fallded" in a water puddle filmed with oil, and she was in a cast from toes to crotch. Son was recuperating from yet ANOTHER ear infection, complete with bottle of pink bubble-gum medicine in the fridge. After several trips up and down the stairs to get kids, medication, blankets, pillows, snacks, we're sitting on the floor of the basement. Son is remarkably good-natured, Daughter is NOT HAPPY. "I don't wanna have a picnic in the basement! I want to go to BED!" is her attitude. I'm trying to make it sound like a fun, fun, FUN way to spend the evening, and my suggestion is not going very far. Hubster has the worried look on his face.
"I think we need a radio down here."
"Yeah, that would be a good idea. Where IS the battery-operated radio-tape player?"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh...it's at work."
Hubster tromps back up to daughter's bedroom, to confiscate her little battery-operated clock-radio. Daughter is even more POed that we are messing with HER STUFF.
Me to Hubster: "Do you have a flashlight?"
"Flashlight?"
"Yeah, it's gonna get DARK down here if the lights go out."
Hubster goes BACK up the stairs and is gone, and gone, and gone. Finally rejoins the family. Son is in a GREAT mood, laughing, playing, being such a good baby. Daughter's pouty lip is long enough to trip over.
Hubster hands me the flashlight. It's a PEN LIGHT.
"What IS THIS??????"
"Uhhhhh....my big flashlight is at work, I think."
Shortly after, the all-clear sounded, and we went back to bed. We heard later that a funnel cloud did touch down briefly outside of Radcliff. I think it probably saw the nonsense that was going on in our house (stupid California RUBES!) and died laughing.
Peace be with you,
~VOW
That really touched my heart to hear her say that and to see her recognize the pain that our Lord went through for us.
