School Bells – Spring break
I am looking forward to Sam and Paul coming over to help bake cookies. Here they come now.
Me: Good morning Sam and Paul.
Sam: Good morning Uncle Jim.
Paul: Good morning Uncle Jim.
Me: Are you enjoying spring break?
Paul: Yes, but I wish we could have gone to the beach like some of my other friends.
Sam: Me too!
Me: Do you remember why you did not go to the beach?
Paul: I remember Uncle Jim. We had a family meeting during the break in December and January. Mom and dad listed all the income, the regular expenses and then we knew what we had left over for fun or home projects,
Sam: Yes. We decided that we needed to make more trips to help grandma and grandpa in Ohio.
Paul: Then there was only enough money left for one short vacation to the beach.
Me: Very good. Both of you voted for helping Grandma and Grandpa.
Sam: They are grandma and grandpa and they are getting old.
Me: Do both of you want hot chocolate before we start baking?
Sam and Paul: Yes, Uncle Jim.
Paul: I will get the cups. Oh, you got them out. Thanks, Uncle Jim.
Me: Boy, this will taste good on this cold day. Who wants to mix and who want to add the ingredients?
Paul: Sam what do you want to do?
Sam: I can start mixing but when all the stuff gets in the bowl it is too hard for me and you need to stir.
Me: Great. I left the amounts right there since we have not done this for some time.
Paul: Thanks.
(Paul starts adding ingredients and Sam’s stars stirring. I put on the oven and get the cookie sheets ready.)
Paul: How come some people have so much more money than others Uncle Jim? Even though we cannot go to the beach for spring break we have a lot more than many. Look at all the people at Catholic Charities or all the refugees. It seems unfair.
Sam: Yeah, Uncle Jim, why is life so unfair? Are some people better or smarter?
Paul: Some of our teachers say if we work hard we can have anything we want.
Sam: What about Sue who cannot walk or Ahmes who works really hard and cannot go back to Egypt and then come back here.
Me: Those are great questions. Let’s explore while we get the cookies ready. Both of your classmates are expecting cookies next week. How is the stirring?
Paul: I think that everything is all stirred up and ready to spoon on the cookie sheets. Will, you check Uncle Jim?
Me: Of course. Yep! You both did a great job. We three make a good team. Here are the spoons. Let’s start.
Soon the three cookies sheets are filled and ready for the oven.
Sam: Can I set the timer Uncle Jim?
Me: Thanks. Now about this question of why some have more money or more health than others.
Paul: Is it just luck that we are born into this family?
Me: I think so, although there are people who believe we make a choice before we are born.
Sam: Who makes a choice? The egg?
Paul: Or the sperm. Oh, I am a sperm. Let’s see where and with who I want to live next life.
Me: I don’t understand how a spirit or a soul could make choices but there is still so much we do not know. I just know I feel very thankful to be part of this family and living next door to you and your parents.
Sam: What else do you feel thankful for Uncle Jim?
Me: Oh, me. I have a long list: our health, our homes, our relationship, other people we know, that we can keep learning. I could go on and on.
Pau: We seem no closer to deciding why life is so unfair.
Me: No we don’t, do we. I certainly have no idea. I know that sometimes we get to make choices but even those are affected by other factors.
Sam: What?
Paul: Sam, there are accidents, diseases and all sorts of things which affect us. We read in class that lots of other things affect what parts of the brain are working or not working
Me: Thank Paul. I know it is confusing Sam. It seems like we always have choices but that is not always true.
Sam: Does that mean if I forget to do homework or chores it is not my fault? I could say (dramatically holding hand outward over forehead), “Oh my brain was on spring break.”
(Paul and I both laugh.)
Ring.
Sam: Time for cookies Uncle Jim.
(I take the cookies out of the oven and set them on the cooling rack and then put the next three trays in the oven.)
Sam: So why is life so unfair Uncle Jim?
Me: Obviously, none of us know Sam, but what do we know…
Sam: …is that we are very lucky.
Paul: Isn’t there some theory about survival of the fittest Uncle Jim?
(We start taking cooking off the trays and putting them on wax paper. Then we wipe off the trays and begin to fill them up with more cookie dough.)
Me: Yes, there are lots of people who think those who survive are the best part of us.
Paul: But hurricanes and other events do not seem to care who is fittest.
Me: No, that is true, but there are those who would suggest that perhaps the fittest miss the events.
Paul: That makes sense sometimes but it seems as if sometimes bad things just happen.
Sam: I know. If mom or dad got killed by a drunk driver today that would be terrible and just an accident.
Paul: That is scary to even think about. We can prepare for some things Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, your parents and I have a savings account for your college expenses if that is what you want to do in a few years. You prepare to have the option of using that by doing your homework, paying attention in class and taking care of yourself.
Ring!
(Three more trays of cookies come out of the oven and three more go in.)
Sam: That is the last of the cookies Uncle Jim. Do we bag some now for our classes?
Me: That is great Sam.
Paul: Does every family talk like we do?
Me: Not everyone Paul, but I am very happy that we do.
Paul: We always seem to end up with more questions than answers Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes. Sometimes attempting to discover the right questions is the biggest part of the job.
Sam: All done Uncle Jim.
Me: Do you want more hot chocolate?
Sam: Yes, please.
Paul: Thanks, Uncle Jim.
(I heat the hot chocolate and then fill their cups.)
Ring.
(The last three trays come out of the oven.)
Me: Look at the time. I promised you would be home by 2:00. It is almost two. I loved our visit. Thanks.
Paul: Bye.
Sam: Love you Uncle Jim
Written March 14, 2017
I am looking forward to Sam and Paul coming over to help bake cookies. Here they come now.
Me: Good morning Sam and Paul.
Sam: Good morning Uncle Jim.
Paul: Good morning Uncle Jim.
Me: Are you enjoying spring break?
Paul: Yes, but I wish we could have gone to the beach like some of my other friends.
Sam: Me too!
Me: Do you remember why you did not go to the beach?
Paul: I remember Uncle Jim. We had a family meeting during the break in December and January. Mom and dad listed all the income, the regular expenses and then we knew what we had left over for fun or home projects,
Sam: Yes. We decided that we needed to make more trips to help grandma and grandpa in Ohio.
Paul: Then there was only enough money left for one short vacation to the beach.
Me: Very good. Both of you voted for helping Grandma and Grandpa.
Sam: They are grandma and grandpa and they are getting old.
Me: Do both of you want hot chocolate before we start baking?
Sam and Paul: Yes, Uncle Jim.
Paul: I will get the cups. Oh, you got them out. Thanks, Uncle Jim.
Me: Boy, this will taste good on this cold day. Who wants to mix and who want to add the ingredients?
Paul: Sam what do you want to do?
Sam: I can start mixing but when all the stuff gets in the bowl it is too hard for me and you need to stir.
Me: Great. I left the amounts right there since we have not done this for some time.
Paul: Thanks.
(Paul starts adding ingredients and Sam’s stars stirring. I put on the oven and get the cookie sheets ready.)
Paul: How come some people have so much more money than others Uncle Jim? Even though we cannot go to the beach for spring break we have a lot more than many. Look at all the people at Catholic Charities or all the refugees. It seems unfair.
Sam: Yeah, Uncle Jim, why is life so unfair? Are some people better or smarter?
Paul: Some of our teachers say if we work hard we can have anything we want.
Sam: What about Sue who cannot walk or Ahmes who works really hard and cannot go back to Egypt and then come back here.
Me: Those are great questions. Let’s explore while we get the cookies ready. Both of your classmates are expecting cookies next week. How is the stirring?
Paul: I think that everything is all stirred up and ready to spoon on the cookie sheets. Will, you check Uncle Jim?
Me: Of course. Yep! You both did a great job. We three make a good team. Here are the spoons. Let’s start.
Soon the three cookies sheets are filled and ready for the oven.
Sam: Can I set the timer Uncle Jim?
Me: Thanks. Now about this question of why some have more money or more health than others.
Paul: Is it just luck that we are born into this family?
Me: I think so, although there are people who believe we make a choice before we are born.
Sam: Who makes a choice? The egg?
Paul: Or the sperm. Oh, I am a sperm. Let’s see where and with who I want to live next life.
Me: I don’t understand how a spirit or a soul could make choices but there is still so much we do not know. I just know I feel very thankful to be part of this family and living next door to you and your parents.
Sam: What else do you feel thankful for Uncle Jim?
Me: Oh, me. I have a long list: our health, our homes, our relationship, other people we know, that we can keep learning. I could go on and on.
Pau: We seem no closer to deciding why life is so unfair.
Me: No we don’t, do we. I certainly have no idea. I know that sometimes we get to make choices but even those are affected by other factors.
Sam: What?
Paul: Sam, there are accidents, diseases and all sorts of things which affect us. We read in class that lots of other things affect what parts of the brain are working or not working
Me: Thank Paul. I know it is confusing Sam. It seems like we always have choices but that is not always true.
Sam: Does that mean if I forget to do homework or chores it is not my fault? I could say (dramatically holding hand outward over forehead), “Oh my brain was on spring break.”
(Paul and I both laugh.)
Ring.
Sam: Time for cookies Uncle Jim.
(I take the cookies out of the oven and set them on the cooling rack and then put the next three trays in the oven.)
Sam: So why is life so unfair Uncle Jim?
Me: Obviously, none of us know Sam, but what do we know…
Sam: …is that we are very lucky.
Paul: Isn’t there some theory about survival of the fittest Uncle Jim?
(We start taking cooking off the trays and putting them on wax paper. Then we wipe off the trays and begin to fill them up with more cookie dough.)
Me: Yes, there are lots of people who think those who survive are the best part of us.
Paul: But hurricanes and other events do not seem to care who is fittest.
Me: No, that is true, but there are those who would suggest that perhaps the fittest miss the events.
Paul: That makes sense sometimes but it seems as if sometimes bad things just happen.
Sam: I know. If mom or dad got killed by a drunk driver today that would be terrible and just an accident.
Paul: That is scary to even think about. We can prepare for some things Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, your parents and I have a savings account for your college expenses if that is what you want to do in a few years. You prepare to have the option of using that by doing your homework, paying attention in class and taking care of yourself.
Ring!
(Three more trays of cookies come out of the oven and three more go in.)
Sam: That is the last of the cookies Uncle Jim. Do we bag some now for our classes?
Me: That is great Sam.
Paul: Does every family talk like we do?
Me: Not everyone Paul, but I am very happy that we do.
Paul: We always seem to end up with more questions than answers Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes. Sometimes attempting to discover the right questions is the biggest part of the job.
Sam: All done Uncle Jim.
Me: Do you want more hot chocolate?
Sam: Yes, please.
Paul: Thanks, Uncle Jim.
(I heat the hot chocolate and then fill their cups.)
Ring.
(The last three trays come out of the oven.)
Me: Look at the time. I promised you would be home by 2:00. It is almost two. I loved our visit. Thanks.
Paul: Bye.
Sam: Love you Uncle Jim
Written March 14, 2017
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