Written by Jane Scupham, principal
Ahhh, parenting is such an adventure!
Over Christmas break, my two college-age children were home for three weeks and life takes on a different slant from the empty-nester existence my husband and I share most of the year. (For those of you with college-age children, I don’t need to say any more and for those of you who are just starting out on this parenting adventure, you’ll understand some day in the not-too- distant future.)
One morning my daughter yelled upstairs to me, “We’re out of Zen. How can this be?! I don’t have any Zen!”
For a brief time my thoughts raced to, “When did she convert to Buddhism?” “Can you be out of Zen? And if so, how do you get it back?” “Is she out of Zen or are we as a family?” “Don’t tell me--now I’M to supply Zen too?”
I answered in the way any sane parent would, “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Zen. We’re out of it,” she said again.
“Well, don’t look to me. I’m trying to wrap presents, write Christmas cards, sew and bake all at the same time. I don’t have any Zen to spare.”
“Mom! I’m talking about Zen. You know, the tea! We’re all out.”
We had a good laugh and more Zen (the tea) was purchased later that day. That’s parenting. Sometimes you misinterpret your child, sometimes you’re talking a totally different language, sometimes you’re on a different plane, and sometimes you are just out of Zen.