Patient Fish

Somebody call PETA or get me the number and I'll call PETA. I need to turn myself in. I have neglected the fish and left them without food for the last 3 days. I thought about them last night probably while I was running but forgot about them by the time I was done. I just remembered them again so I ran in and fed my patient aquatic friends. I do have to say they were attacking those flakes with a vengeance I have rarely seen. Ravenous almost. Hmmm. I threw in a little extra for good measure or maybe just as a way of apologizing. I am not a fish whisperer so I communicate in the only way I know how... food. It appears that they accepted my apology with a little feeling even. Not to worry, I forgot to feed the turtle too but I don't think it eats anyway so no big deal. It hissed at me once when I was cleaning it's tank so he can starve. I'm tellin ya, don't cross me turtle. Don't cross me.

That is the classic tale of a man seeking forgiveness whilst being unwilling to forgive. I really hold no contempt for the turtle. It did hiss at me once but I continue to feed it and clean it's tank. For the record, I am not a turtle whisperer either. No I just speak in a regular manner to the turtle when I tell him he stinks. That is typically followed by the tank being changed which is generally when he hisses at me so maybe it is I that have offended him. Oh, the horror. Please, don't call PETA. It is too much for me to take. I will do better. I will do better. I will do better.

Just going to put this random thought out there. Do what you will with it: Cajun Spiced Pistachios are amazingly good and they make my nose run. World Table brand packaged specifically for Wal-Mart. Pistachios with a little kick. Maybe I should give some of those to the turtle.

I just got off the phone with Big Jack. He was in tears and was really upset. He wants me there tomorrow so I can bring him home to Cedar City. It is too light in Alaska and there is nothing to do there and the dogs bark a lot and he is getting chubby and he misses me a lot and I am his best dad ever and his best buddy and and and.. suddenly the crying stopped - "Hey, there is my missing tooth". Thought we made it through the episode and then the crying started again. "I want to bring my tooth to Cedar City and show you and the tooth fairy can come and get it...".

I have been through little Jack episodes a few times and having spoken to Natty an hour or so before I kind of had a feeling of what happened. They were playing Lego's when I was talking to Natty so my guess was that there was a Lego incident that upset Jack and then he got in a little trouble and suddenly his world blew up. It is near impossible to console him so you just have to have him cry it out and say his piece and then wait a bit and try to help him calm down. It was a 22 minute phone call and we only started the deep breaths at the end. I think once we did that he realized there were some fun things going on and he said "You can stop talking now" which means bye and he was gone. Rachel got on the phone and gave me the run down and it was as I thought, a Lego meltdown. She tried to work through it for a while and then asked him if he wanted to talk to me. We know the answer to that.

I don't find pleasure in the fact that Rachel had to experience that nor do I find any satisfaction that she needed to call me. I do think it is important to experience the meltdown. They can be hard to deal with and the only way to better manage it is to learn from it and try to figure out triggers and patterns. I pretty much stink at it but I like to talk a good game. I just know that the best way through it is to get him to relax and breathe. He's gonna get some deep thoughts and some anger out along the way but we'll get there. Kind of like the fish, have a little patience, it'll come.

This verse in Helaman 3 was one that I read today. It stood out to me this morning and I think it teaches a great lesson about patience. The people of the church were beginning to suffer great persecution and to wade through much affliction. Verse 35 describes how they persevered:

35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

I like that a lot. It gives hope. So fish, I will, like you, be patient in my afflictions and in my trials. I know that the promised blessings come.