Snowbrush Situations

A few months ago, several potentially difficult situations were unfolding simultaneously for me personally. We all handle our stuff differently. While actively charting rough waters I tend to go inward. If I had to put an illustration to it, it would look almost like being inside a giant sphere that no one else can penetrate. At the center of the sphere is me and the “stuff” is inside of the sphere with me but not in arms reach. Slowly I go up to the “stuff” and work through it then place it where it goes or discard it. Unfortunately, this leaves the people who care about me feeling helpless, understandably so. Being honest with them, explaining that this is how I process things, and communicating boundaries has helped them and I during those times.

Throughout the time I mentioned previously my Father called me repeatedly about a snowbrush. He needed to ensure that I had a snowbrush. Not just any snowbrush, the cobalt blue one he gave me years ago. After many phone calls and moderate investigation, we finally figured out I had given it to my niece one winter. If I knew that snowbrush was such a gem, I would have given her one of the other five I had in my trunk at the time. Mindlessly I handed over the first one I grabbed during a snowstorm. Once the mystery had been solved and he knew I was not snowbrush-less, he expressed his disappointment with the peasant brushes in my possession. We were then finally able to move past the issue.

Sometime later as I was cleaning up around the house it dawned on me. It had nothing to do with the snowbrush. He needed to feel like he was making sure I was okay. The snowbrush just happened to be the way he did that, whether he is aware of it or not. During the snowbrush saga I kept thinking “a snowbrush is the last thing I am worried about right now” but for him it was everything. It had nothing to do with the snowbrush.

Today one of my children needed to stay home from school. As a result, I am at home typing this. Something inside feels the tiniest bit different and I can’t seem to place it. If I had to name or explain it, the only thing I keep coming up with is the snowbrush situation.

…. And we all know it has nothing to do with a snowbrush.

Just to be sure I will reach out and make sure he has a snowbrush, just in case.