Sam's Assignments

The other night, we had all had it with each other. With getting back in our normal routine after Thanksgiving, getting our house decorated for Christmas, and the boys both having small colds, we were snapping at each other left and right. So as we piled in the car to go to a friend's house, Joy came to our family's rescue:

"I have an assignment for everyone," she announced. "We each have to say one thing that we love and appreciate about each other member of the family." Joy went first and proceeded to refocus us on why we enjoy each other's company. I started to follow Joy when Sam piped up, "No, it's my turn!" His list was on how much he likes to play with us all (and how much he enjoy's Noah's words like "Mehmo" for "Elmo.") I followed with my list, and afterwards, we each felt a little calmer, a little more peaceful towards one another.

But Sam wasn't finished. "Are you ready for your next assignment?" he hollered from the back seat. "Sure," Joy and I tentatively responded. "Ok, now you have to tell what you love and appreciate about....the highway!"

Joy and I played along as one assignment followed another. We had to tell what we appreciated about the airport, about cars, about Union Station, about the interstate - basically anything that crossed Sam's mind was fodder for his assignments. It was a hilarious trip through Sam's imaginative mind. And as we arrived at our friends' house I realized that as exasperating as it can be, I'm truly appreciative of that imagination.