The Errant Sneaker Syndrome

My son started kindergarten this year. It's a tough time - the stakes are higher in Kindergarten than they were in preschool. There's homework. Disappointments are, for some reason, harder to take and the tears that ensue are not always met with understanding.

In short, it's a bad time all around to start losing your sneakers and forgetting where you left your socks.

I suppose Lima Bean's difficulties are what prompted the Universe to teach me a bit of compassion.

It started last Monday when I went to go pick the boy up early from his after school enrichment program. We hadn't made it to his gymnastics class since he'd started and we needed to get there. When I showed up it was only to be told that I was a little early for the Thanksgiving feast but I could go help the class moms set up. D'oh!! I had totally forgotten! (Forgot the cookies that I was meant to bring, too, but at least I knew enough not to commit to anything vital.) I got to take part in the feast and even got to start the bonfire. As I'm often known to say - no harm, no foul.

Tuesday was more of the same. I needed to send my daughter to school with her uncle's address, which I keep on the computer. I checked my email while I was at it - not that I had time but I did and, lo and behold, there's the email about the conference call that morning. Double d'oh!! I made it to the call. Ten minutes late and stressed, but I made it.

While waiting for Miss M's bus I realized that constantly screwing up isn't much fun. It feels pretty crappy even when there isn't someone yelling at you to "find your @#&**! sneakers already." I found Lima Bean's sneaker (on the window sill in my office !?!) and the Universe spent the week picking up my proverbial errant sneakers.

I've eased up on Lima Bean some since then but every day we still go looking for his sneakers (which are supposed to be safe and sound in the spot they have earmarked for them but rarely are.) I want to yell, but then I remember how easy it can be to forget and how the Universe wanted me to remember to be compassionate. So, the search for the errant sneakers continue until he learns the lessons as well as I have.

When has the Universe picked up your proverbial sneakers for you?