On Pen Pals and Tacos

Hey y'all -

I swear, I've been experiencing a ten-day version of what my great-grandmother would have called, "a sinking spell." Illness, fatigue, work stuff, the day-to-day mess that can drag you down, especially when you're in the middle of that three-month period of every year when the sun doesn't shine on your house. You start to question your abilities as a parent, and wonder if anyone around you is having any fun.

Then, last Saturday, I told Laney that I would take her shopping with me for groceries. She was an absolute peach at Costco, and as we were loading the car with our purchases, she said:

Laney: Mom, I'd like to go to a restaurant.
Mom: Ha, ok. What kind of restaurant?
Laney: A restaurant that sells tacos.

Every week, my grandmother - Granny Jack - sends Laney a card with a sheet of stickers and two one-dollar bills, one for Laney and one for Hagen. Our mailbox is a mile and a half from our house, so when I check the mail and see a letter from Jack, I hand it back to Laney and keep driving. By the time we've gotten home and everyone's climbed out of the car, I've already forgotten about Jack's card. Such is the short-term memory loss that comes with motherhood.

So last Saturday, I pulled into Taco Bell, figuring I would get Laney a taco and be on our way. As we parked, I looked into my wallet.

Mom: Uh-oh, Laney. I'm so sorry, but I don't have any cash with me (and I sure wasn't going to charge an 89 cent taco). We can't go to the taco restaurant today, but maybe we can go another time when I have money.
Laney: Oh, I have dollars.

She reached into the side compartment of her car seat and pulled out a wad of one-dollar bills, weeks of Granny Jack pen pal money.

Mom: Okay, then... and you're sure you want to spend your money on tacos?
Laney: Yes, but I want to eat inside the restaurant.
Mom: Well, if you're buying...

We went inside Taco Bell, where Laney bought us both lunch. As we were sitting at our table, she took a sip of her lemonade and said,

Laney: I wonder what's going on at Target?
Mom: I don't know, Pegge, let's go see.

...So we went to Target, where Laney spent the last five dollars of her secret stash on paint. It was a great afternoon on the town with my favorite girl, and it reminded me that even just a few years from now, I won't remember the stupid work project, but I will remember Laney looking at the man behind the Taco Bell counter and saying, "He's a good man." "How can you tell Laney?" "Because he fixed my lunch."

If I am even remotely responsible for how cool you're turning out to be, I'm accomplishing great things, indeed.

Love,
Mom