Humility is the theme for 2008 AKA The Body Shop Saga

As you know, we humans have a tail bone, yet no tail. Some would say evolution explains this.

There is no evidence of humans with tails after the Smartassic Period. Scientists believe that what happened was that after a long day with a defiant and back-talking, prideful cave kid, some cave mama jerked a knot in his little tail. When God looked down and saw that, he decided that until someone invented prozac, tails were probably not such a good idea for the propagation of the human race. And so he started making humans without tails. I know this to be true, because if Brien had a tail I most certainly would have jerked a knot in it on Friday night.

Friday night was one of those nights when Brien wanted to see if he could make his mother cry. And if not for the fact that I am every bit as stiff necked and defiant as he is, I would have. I hope he learns, sooner than I did, that having a stiff neck makes life hard.

We who have survived our own teenage years and have a few years of parenting under our belts know that pride, selfishness, covetousness and our own stupidity are what cause stiff necks and stiff necks cause a variety of accidents, whether they be actual physical accidents, emotional accidents or full onset mental breakdowns.

Brien recently decided that after having his driver’s license for less than six months, that he was an expert driver. No amount of pointing out the error in his logic and bravado could prevent the inflation of his ego, which led to his big head, which finally led to his stiff neck and unfortunately mine!!

Friday night Dane and I received the call that every parent of a teenage driver dreads but secretly knows will eventually occur. It’s more of that cosmic karma of my teenage years catching up with me. (Dad, I’m sorry about the “DOG” incident!)

Brien has had his first car accident and so we will be ringing in 2008 with a cracked up station wagon that is only 2 years old and not completely paid for. Instead of ringing in the New Year and wishing for OUR prosperity, we will be making the auto repairman prosperous.

I won’t get into all of the ugly details of that night. I will say that I wish I’d had a little tape-recorder handy for when he said “I’m sorry Mom, I guess I’ve finally been knocked down a few notches... you were right!”

By the end of the day, I was asking God to remind me why I ever thought I wanted to be a mother. It was all I could do not to slam dunk his 185 lb 6 foot frame into bed. After a few hours of sleep my neck and heart had softened. I crept into his room the next morning and looked down into his sleeping face, a masculine version of my own face, sleeping the sleep of angels. I remembered why I ever thought I wanted to be a mother. I got on my knees next to his bed and I thanked my Heavenly Father for my son and for keeping him safe. Cars can be repaired and we have insurance and decent jobs to pay the bills.

Mercy. Just in time for another day. I wonder how long Brien’s new found humility will last.

Happy New Year to my wonderful family and friends. May the Lord bless you and keep you and your loved ones safe and sound in body and in spirit. I love you all!