Smiles have been in rather short supply lately for family ZimmerBitch.
The boy-child is learning some hard lessons on his path to becoming an adult; dealing with work and study and a raft of annoyances and disappointments that have left him exhausted and glum.
Anxiety about our son’s welfare, coupled with stress around the decisions we need to make about our own future, have left even the normally cheerful Big T struggling to smile.
And as if the emotional grims weren’t enough, ALL the family cars have recently suffered some sort of ‘needs-money-spent’ problem.
Then yesterday the glass panel on our kitchen range-hood decided to part company with the rest of the device, leaving every surface in the kitchen twinkling under a sea of broken glass. And leaving us shopping for a new range-hood.
But still, when I went into the office this morning and saw the “Three Wise Men” card, I smiled. Partly because I think it’s genuinely funny, but mostly because it’s a reminder of a friendship that stretches back almost 40 years, and a friend who cheers me up when I need it.
I need it now.
Oh, goodness, sending hugs and smiles, sounds like you need them….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry to hear that everything bad is happening at once. Hoping this turns around very very quickly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Deb. 🙂
LikeLike
When the dark days descend in a storm it can be difficult to remember what the sunshine feels like on your skin. Hold out for the weather change that will eventually come. No storm lasts forever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for these lovely, kind and wise words Kiri. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nothing is worse than watching our kids struggle. Their pain is always ours. I hope things improve soon.
Now excuse my ignorance, but what is a book token!?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Amy. 🙂
A book token is what we used to call a gift card for a bookshop. We really are two nations divided by a common language as (Churchill?) said.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! I had a feeling from the context and image that that might be what it was, but I’ve never heard that term used before!! So true about our “common” language. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a pretty outdated term. It made me realise just how long I’ve held on to that card!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh Su, those kids they’ll get through it. Sometimes you just have to let go and say a little prayer. I’m sure you taught him well through the years. Now’s the time he has to use that wisdom you imparted to get on with things.
Hugs Leslie
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much Leslie. Sometimes it feels as though the world is weighted against the young, and I get very indignant on my son’s behalf. He’s actually pretty good and doing exactly as you say — just getting on with things. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just give him that reassurance that he needs and he won’t let you down.
Leslie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Leslie. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
They just need to know that someone, they care about, has faith in them and has their back.
Leslie
LikeLike
Seems like the blues is infecting several of my blogger friends this week. Sorry to hear about the woes, but you know that your boy will survive. After all he is YOUR boy. Hard to let go sometimes. Having four kids it all seemed much easier for me than those with only one or two. I guess I had time to get used to them leaving home, one by one. Sending hugs ((( ))) xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much Jude. There does seem to be a rash of the blues around; and I’m realising my woes are pretty minor compared to a few people I’ve spoken to in the last few days.
The boy is pretty resilient and I am very proud of how he is coping. I think part of my problem is being angry on his behalf at how lousy treatment of the vulnerable (the young, the low-paid and tenants particularly) has become institutionalized here. It’s all he and his friends have known, but I grew up in a kinder, more egalitarian society. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got the impression that Kiwis were friendly and kind folk. Sad to hear that there are problems like anywhere else in the bigger picture. To be expected I guess. Life seems to revolve around money and money = greed in a lot of cases. Ineffectual governments and too many people looking after number one!! I hope he feels better about things soon. He’s too young to be weighed down by “stuff”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think we probably are still a relatively friendly nation — and I believe that most people are good at heart. We still manage to rally around our neighbours and strangers in strife, but increasingly it’s expected that individuals and charities will provide services that once we could expect from the state. I dislike that approach as it so often carries a moral dimension of defining a “deserving poor.” And NZ used to be such an egalitarian little country. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There seems to be a charity for everything these days, as you rightly say, doing the job that the state should be doing. What really gets to me is how badly public money is used. Here we get landlords letting rooms to half a dozen people who get housing benefit so the landlord gets it all and yet the house is unfit to live in! Surely someone should be checking that this does not happen. And all the wasted millions spent on ‘new ideas’ !!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s much the same here. Low wages are supplemented with state benefits — handed out to the “deserving” poor. Yet paying people a living wage would probably cost less and produce better outcomes. Employers seem unable to understand that workers are also consumers. ☹️
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’re not doing much smiling are we?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point! I am at least feeling grateful that we have electricity and an intact roof. A storm hit Auckland a few days ago and so many people are suffered damage to their homes, and are still without power. But the spirit of kindness is strong, with friends’ providing soup and showers and turning up to clear away fallen trees etc.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yikes! That sounds pretty bad. Amazing how communities get together at these times though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes; I really do believe that most people are fundamentally good. Just not always great at showing it, until there is a crisis.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hopefully, your smile returns to you soon. The wonderful ‘bookmark’ card has given you a small boost already. We are all with you with our thoughts and good wishes,
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Peter. There are always good things around when I lift my head to see them. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Smile: Stan – What's (in) the picture?
Oh no, sorry life is making you all glum at the moment. Hope all you blogger friends sending you smiles and good vibes helps 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Anabel. It is lovely to have so many good wishes from my blogging whanau 🙂
LikeLike
It’s a great community.
LikeLike
Sending you a big hug, Su.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Tish 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hang in there Su. Sending you much love from across the ditch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. The cars are fixed and we have a new range-hood almost installed, so I’m feeling a bit more in control — if only of life’s machinery. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Since I came back from Oz I have done almost nothing except fix things which decided to break on me from doorbells to phones to towel rails; still trying to decide if the dishwasher is about to go on me! A blogging friend used to say that everything went wrong during Mercury Retrograde. Who knows! But when I went to google Mercury Retrograde look what I found…http://www.astrologyhoroscopereadings.com/2018-mercury-retrograde-calendar.html May better times be upon us soon. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for that. It’s interesting stuff. I’ve never been much into astrology, but it is definitely odd when lots of the same sort of things happen at once, and defy normal explanation. Hope your dishwasher decides to keep on keeping on!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
whew – sending good thoughts your way – and for son.
I read the comment above and glad things are snapping into place.
whenever one of our vehicles is in the shop- well if it is a few days – our neighbor used to ask if it was t the car doctor. I thought that was cute.
and the glass – is that the type that will live you finding pieces for a long long time?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much Yvette. Hopefully T and I are done with the car doctor for a while, though the boy-child’s car is still in hospital 😦
Yes, it was safety glass — the kind that shatters into a million little rocks and gets EVERYWHERE. I’m so glad the new rangehood is a better design — all metal and no glass. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh that is good – the new one has no glass.
We kind of have this special thing we do at our house when someone breaks something.
Whoever hears usually comes a running to help clean up.
It is pretty cool when it happens and someone rescues with helping clean up – cos usually when something breaks were busy or just doing something – ya know.
So like when a plate broke last month on son1 – the hubs came grabbed broom and just started sweeping and picking bog pieces.
–
anyhow, the shatter you had would not work that well with that system – might need to call the clean up crew for assistance – lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
My “clean-up crew”was on a Skype meeting, so it was a solo job 😕
LikeLiked by 1 person
awe….
and again – glad the new one has no glass…
I bet the one that broke was pretty
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sending hugs, Su. Lots and lots of them.
Each individual thing in isolation is not necessarily such a big problem, but when they start to cluster, the cumulative effect starts to become overwhelming. I hope this clusterfuck ends soon and smiles return to family Zimmerbitch.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much Joanne. You are absolutely right; it is the clustering of little things that is so exhausting. We just feel like we’re recovering, and something else happens. But T and I have a holiday planned in a couple of weeks and I am sooooo looking forward to that. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you could find a smile in rough times – thinking of you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sarah; much appreciated. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Keep smiling Su. All will be set in due time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙏 thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no! So much troubles at once! What is it with them always appearing in pairs or more? Hope you will get them sorted soon, Su! Sending you much, much love, hugs and smiles!!! xxxxxxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you my friend. We’re working through the practical stuff (like getting cars going again) and that will surely I prove the likelihood of good cheer. Hope you are having a good week xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, Su. I’m sorry things are snowballing like that. I have been there on all fronts, and it is difficult to keep your chin up, especially when your gents are also struggling. Take extra, extra good care yourself — lots of little treats. Sending you hugs from CA.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. It is amazing how much little treats help. I’m skiving off this morning to visit a friend’s art studio, and just the anticipation is making me feel better. 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good. Little things keep the gloom away until the sun comes out again. And it will. Trust in that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Great card and i can see how it would continue to bring a smile. I’m glad you haven’t lost your great writing ability during this rough patch. Great post. I hope things smooth out soon.All the best. Amanda
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Amanda. I’m trying to just work through all the junk, and remind myself of the good things. 🙂
LikeLike