Pranks are a must to a healthy family. After all laughter is
good medicine…especially when that laughter comes at the cost of paying someone
back who is usually the one that dishes out the pranks and if you know our
family, you know WHO that someone is.
As most of you know we had to put down our 14 year old Chihuahua,
Señor Harjo this past month and every day since then the kids have been beggin’,
it was a bit depressing because he has not been gone that long. Then it came to
pass…I joined in on the beggin’…after all the pitter patter of his paws on the
hardwood floors, his fancy dancing in circles when I come home…are no more.
It’s quiet here….besides the continual pleading.
The repetitive pleading was beginning to wear on Darryl, so
Darryl proclaimed that the ONLY way we were getting another dog was if M.O.M.
retired so she can take care of it…thus prank on dad was initiated.
It’s always good to have friends in high places that can
make things happen quickly, thus this very official letter of my voluntary
retirement of 21 years was born…effective June 1, 2014.
We all sat down at the dinner table and I started the
conversation with, “So does anyone else miss Señor?” The kids were like, “Yes!”
I said, “Me too.” Darryl said, “Surprisingly yes, I do. I dropped some food on
the floor and I was like Señor will clean it up and I catch myself looking out
in the back for him.”
I said, “I thought about what you said if we wanted a dog
then I would need to retire so I could be home during the day to take care of
it, so this is what I did (I handed him the letter).
Darryl begin to read the letter, his chewing slowed down, he
begin to get that look in his eyes, the look that moms usually give their kids,
then he retorted, “Well I guess our goal of paying off our home in 5 years
isn’t going to happen. We are going to have to go back to a 15 year note. We
may even have to sell our house.”
To which I said, “Well that is a good thing, we have wanted
to downsize. Now we can move to Westmoore and Darya can finish out school
there, it really is a win-win situation for all of us.” Darya, was like “Yes!” All
of three of us continued with all the benefits of downsizing, living a minimal
lifestyle, having a pet and living happily ever after. At this point I thought
of this scrapbook page I did of us.
We carried it past dinner and you could see the
disappointment growing. I asked Darryl, “Do you still love me?”
No answer, just that look.
So I asked again, “Do you still love me?”
To which he somberly said, “It’s just that I thought
something of such great importance you would have talked to me about it.”
I said, “I thought it had already been discussed when you
declared the only way we were getting a dog is if I retired to take care of it,
so that is what I did. I didn’t realize we needed any further discussions.”
It was time to inform him that he had been pranked by his
daughter, son and myself and that the letter was fake. Darya video recorded his
response and here it is.
Yes, he still loves me and yes we are getting a new dog!!
Now we are working on getting two dogs, you know so they can keep each other
company; after all it is scriptural (sort of)…
Ecclesiastes
4:9-12 (NKJV)
The Value of a
Friend
Two are better
than one,
Because they have a
good reward for their labor.
For if they fall,
one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who
is alone when he falls,
For he has no one
to help him up.
Again, if two lie
down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be
warm alone?
Though one may be
overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold
cord is not quickly broken.
