(If you want to hear Lori read the story click) here
Benjamin and I were sitting together on the couch when I noticed that he was posting a question on Answers.com. He has done this before. I am not sure how he became aware of the site, or the possibility of posting questions. But today he was asking a good one, one that every self respecting thirteen year old would want to know the answer to.
"What are the factors of 14336?"
Then I watched him start to answer it, mumbling quietly as he figured out each one. It took about five minutes to enter the twenty four factors because he is not one to rush, and takes care to get the breaks and commas just right. Then he decided to add the prime factors for the curious among us, and just as a flourish added the Prime Factorization, a process that I could not have named if I were on Double Jeopardy with $14336 in the pot. He tried to add the last part in short form, 2 to the 11th times 7, but could not figure out how to elevate the 11, so he left it off. Someone named Achilles, who also cares about this particular answer, helped him out by adding it later.
I was exceedingly joyful about the whole ordeal, much more so than Ben who has zero interest in impressing anyone. He just likes to answer math questions.
I packed away the pleasure in my pocket, which felt cozy as we trekked out the door into the cold for school.
The next morning, however, was not so blessed. He was mad about his lost favorite spoon, the one that hides under couch cushions just to foil him. I was getting miffed about being late again to school, and tried to hustle him along. He yelled from another room.
"I think that you and I should go our separate ways."
I was jolted from annoyance to the ridiculous. Brief images flashed in my mind of the two of us at the fork in the road, turning our backs and walking briskly away. I might have snatched the chance, if it weren't for the shining little memory in my pocket.
The day barreled along, as December days have a reputation for doing. First my sister came over to bring a gift. She had made a real gingerbread house, the kind with a chimney and windows, not just a slap dash graham cracker one, and brought it for my twins to decorate. She even gave them a bag full of icing and candy. It was very kind.
Then as we chatted before she went back to work she offered me another gift.
"If you are feeling too busy to sew the matching pajamas you always give your family, I have time this week to make them."
Wow. That was a hefty item on my to do list, and I did not even waver before gratefully accepting.
That afternoon I went to my Lunch Bunch job, and made little ornaments and stuffed snowmen with the kids. When one mom came to pick up her son, she gave me an envelope.
"It is small but don't lose it," she said. It was a gift card to my favorite fabric store. I zipped over and picked out green flannel that happened to be 60% off. The woman cutting it was curious why I was buying the entire bolt.
Three gifts in one day felt like more than my share. One would think I would be permanently saturated with good will.
But that evening I fell into the Ornery Pit. The living room was an archeological dig, with enough specimens to track the events surrounding six people with better things to do than clear their nachos plates and homework. The fact that I had sampled the parade of cookies and candy that seemed to appear everywhere I went, and blown off actual food, no doubt contributed to my sullen mood.
I barked, and whined, ignoring the messages in the cards strewn on the table from people I love.
Then I remembered the comment made in church last week.
"Don't be surprised when Herod shows up."
I stopped ranting. Benjamin was on the computer, no doubt posting other important answers.
"Do you still think we should go our separate ways?" I asked.
It was not Benjamin that I needed to part company with. It was my tyrannical feelings.
And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary
his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened
their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense
and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. Matthew 2
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