My family seems to have a very selective memory. They love to recall the occasions when I have taken advantage of their helpfulness… I guess I can’t blame them… it makes for some good-natured joshing. My youngest sister (of three) delights to remind me of her devotion as a child – bringing me soda or a float upon request while I watched the big game. Of course, now she tells me that she “spiked” these drinks with mystery ingredients just to see if she could put one over on me. Serves me right since I always threatened my wife with “water deluxe” instead of the untainted tap water upon her frequent requests for my service.
Now my kids have favorite stories of their own about their willingness to accommodate my requests. My thirteen-year-old can still be persuaded to play waitress upon occasion – a nice way to show her appreciation for her hard-working Dad. Maybe that is lazy on my part… but then there have been those legitimate occasions where help was essential… yet they still give me a hard time. How about when I was just days removed from ACL reconstructive surgery. After painfully laboring over my stretching exercises, I would bellow at the top of my lungs, “ICE” – and the appropriate child would cheerfully retrieve my therapeutic treatment. But that was all done in good fun… as opposed to when I aggravate my wife now by suggesting that I really am approaching that point in life where Assisted Living starts to look attractive!
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