Fried Nuts

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child...”

SHIRIN: 4 years old

FREDERICK: 2 1/2 years old 

Frederick enters the front room to play his drums.  Shirin is standing in the middle of the room pushing out her belly.

Frederick: Shaween, augh doooooooing? (Shirin, what are you doing?)

Shirin:  I think I am a big bully. (I think I have a big belly)

Frederick: Ot-a-in. (Not again)

Shirin:  I ate too much green strings. (I ate too much string beans)

Frederick: I-a-a Dreget Drum! (I’m going to drum on Frederick’s Drums!)

Frederick starts to play his drums.  Shirin dances to the music with her “big belly”.  A fly decides to join the fun.  Frederick spots the fly, stops drumming and screams.

Frederick:  Beeeeeee!  Beeeee!

Shirin: It’s a fry because it is back.  (It’s a fly because it is black!)

Shirin disappears for a second and reappears with a fly swatter.

Frederick: Shubel?  (Is that a shovel?)

Shirin: It’s a fried sweater that fights bugs! (It’s a fly swatter that fights bugs!)

Frederick watches Shirin as she tries to swat the fly.  Shirin uses her best fighting sounds as she swings the fly swatter around in the air and hits various surfaces in the room.  Shirin ends every swat with a fighter pose.  The “fight” makes Frederick giggle.  The giggles become a nervous cry-like giggle every time the fly gets too close to him.  After many attempts Shirin finally makes contact.  

Shirin: I got it!

Frederick points to the fly.

Frederick: Her name? (What is that?)

Shirin:  It’s a fry!  (It’s a fly!)

Frederick looks unsure.

Shirin: Bees live in big farts! (Bees live in big tree barks!)

Mom walks in.  Both kids are staring at the squashed fly on the floor.  Shirin is close to it and studying it intensely.  Frederick is not so close and looks unsure.

Shirin:  Mom, I squished a fry and it’s nuts came out! (I squished a fly and it’s guts came out!)

Mom looks surprised.  Shirin uses the fly sweater as a pointer.  She points to the fly with her chest out.

Shirin:  Fried nuts! (Fly’s guts!)

Mom:  Wow, good job Shirin!

Mom can tell Frederick is uneasy. He reaches for her.

Frederick: Old you?  (Will you hold me?)

Mom:  What’s wrong Frederick?

Frederick: Beeeee!

Mom:  Don’t worry Frederick, it’s just a fly. It can’t hurt you.  I don’t like bees too but it was not a bee.  And if it was we would have opened the window and let it fly out.  We don’t want that yucky fear in our heart.

Shirin: The fry made Frederick up-sweat so it had to supper the cwon-sin-quens-es. (The fly made Frederick upset so it had to suffer the consequences.)

Frederick: Like it.  (I don’t like it.)

Mom: I know you didn’t like it.

Shirin:  And I won it!  Pretend you ordered me from Shirin.com to fight the fry.  Pow!

Shirin makes power fighting moves in the air.  Mom giggles as she picks up the dead fly in a tissue and throws it in a nearby trash can.  Frederick becomes less tense and starts to smile. 

Mom: You are a worrier Shirin and always will be.  God will order up some Shirin as you grow up in your faith.  I pray that you will be wise in your fights!  Pow!

Mom tries to throw a power punch herself.  It makes both kids burst out in laughter.  She looks down at Frederick as he goes back to his drums.

Mom:  And you Frederick, as you grow up in your faith I pray God will give you courage and that you will trust Him.  He will use you and your drums to help others have courage too.

Frederick starts to play his drums and hums a rocked out version of “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.”  With her fly swatter weapon in hand, Shirin dances a warrior dance all around the room.

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1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Don't Touch

Don’t Touch

“Even small children are known by their actions...”

MISSY:

Missy stood in the kitchen.  Her attention on the electric stove top.  The glowing red seemed to mesmerize her.  she remembered several months earlier when she was told never to touch it, especially when the stove top is glowing red.  “It will burn you,” her mother warned.  Although Missy knew she was not supposed to get near the stove when it was red, she would catch herself glancing up there.  “Why not?” she thought, “What did getting burned feel like?”

It was only last week when she had stood in the kitchen and saw the stove top was black, not glowing red. She had stood and wondered, “What would one little touch feel like?” just as she was now.  Obeying her mom and trusting her judgment is what had kept her from reaching out to touch it then.  She hated doing things that were wrong because of the feeling it left in her heart.  Missy hadn’t wanted to get hurt, she just wanted to know how it would feel.  Slowly she had reached out her hand and touched the stove which was surprisingly cold sending a shiver down her spine.  Her curiosity was satisfied and a glance around told her nobody had seen her.  Immediately Missy had recognized that yucky feeling in her heart.  It was not about the stove, that was uneventful, but knowing that she had secretly touched it sent a shiver down her spine, just as cold as the black stove top.

But today the stove was glowing and her curiosity burned again.  Missy paused,  “Would it feel the same as last week?  Would it be cold or would it be more cozy?”  She could tell it was cooling down, the glow was slowly going away and being replaced by the black.  With her opportunity slipping away, Missy moved her fingers with anticipation to make a move.  Then her mothers voice rang in her head, “It will burn you.”

Missy’s heart raced at the warning, she frantically flipped her head around the kitchen to see if she was still alone.  She was, but she knew it was probably not for long.  She had not reached up sooner and had paused to contemplate only because of her faint memory of a cold yucky heart feeling.

She loved her mom and didn’t want to let her down.  “But,” she rationalized, “I got away with it last week and my heart felt yucky for only a while.”  Curiosity slowly became stronger than her conviction.  Her thoughts raced, “Mom didn’t know and nothing bad had happened and even more... I didn’t get hurt.” Concluding that her mom’s warning was wrong she continued,  “What came of last week?  Nothing.  I touched and walked away just fine.”  Missy knew if she hurried right now she could satisfy her curiosity once and for all, the glow was fading and she didn’t know if she would have another chance.  “After all,” she concluded, “it’s better to be hot than cold so it couldn’t be bad.”

Deciding that it would be just like last time Missy reached up.  She knew that all this curiosity would be put to rest by doing it real quick, touching the stove and walking away.  Missy paused as she moved toward the stovetop continued to reason to herself, “Nobody would even have to know.”  And this time she knew she would be fully satisfied because she would finally find out what it felt like when it was red.  One thing is for sure, she would avoid that cold shiver.

Readying herself for a quick exit from the kitchen, Missy opened her fist with her fingers spread apart and pressed down on the stove top.  “Aughhhhhhh!”  Missy shrieked as she jerked herself back. The pain ran all the way up her arm and her hand was stinging like she had never felt before.  The shock of it made her fall to the floor and shake.  What is this???  She didn’t realize that it would hurt!  She didn’t know she would actually really get burned!  The pain was unbearable and all she could do was stare at her burning skin and scream.  Was her hand going to fall off?  Her mom rushed in and frantically asked what happened.  “Aughhhhhhh,  stow, stow, Aughhhhh!” Missy whimpered.

“You touched the stove!?!?!?!  Oh no!”  Missy’s mom exclaimed as she rushed over scooping Missy up and proceeding to run her hand under water.  It barely soothed the pain.  

“Why on earth did you touch the stove?” Missy’s mom asked in bewilderment.

Missy couldn’t stop screaming from the pain and her heart screamed even louder at her mom’s question.  As the water ran over her hand Missy thought maybe her scorched skin would just peal off.  After several minutes Missy was able to settle down but felt like her skin was ruined forever.  Maybe her hand wouldn’t fall off and perhaps her the skin was not peeling like she feared, but her entire arm felt the blow.  Maybe the muscles would never work again.

Then Missy noticed that her entire family stood in the kitchen staring at her as she sat on the counter next to the sink with her hand under the running water.  Her dad at the counter flipping through their phone book, her older sister Sherry rattling off stove safety, her younger brother Ralphy demanding to know how it happened and her little sister Candy just tearing up.  “So much for the quick exit.  So much for nobody ever knowing.”  Missy thought with dismay.  Now everyone was there and knew what she had done.  She realized that she had been foolish in disobeying.  Embarrassment creeped all over her.  The pain and the burn was proof.  Missy’s dad and mom called the doctor and followed the instructions of wrapping Missy’s hand up in a bandage that had to stay on for over a week.  She remembered her mother’s voice, “It will burn you.”  Now she understood what that meant.  With all her might she wished she could pull back time and trusted and obeyed her mom and found a way to kill her own curiosity.  But now the consequence was not going away.  She had to live with this pain and it felt like it would never subside.

Every day for the next week the pain did not seem to subside.  Her mom said it would and that she had to be patient saying that her hand would not stay hurt forever even though it felt like it would.  That little by little she would heal and feel better.  Never did Missy want this consequence.  The pleasure of feeding a curiosity was not worth the price she was now paying.  Missy heard her mom say it would be better but the pain told her she would never be better.  That she would never be the same.

About a week later while Missy laid in her bed, her mom came in to say goodnight.

“Mom.  I’m sowy foe tuchin thee stobe,”  Missy said with a large lump in her throat.

Missy’s mom gave her a hug saying  “I forgive you Missy.”  Those words of forgiveness lifted a burden Missy had carried all week.  “I give you rules so that you do not do things that will hurt yourself.”  Missy knew it was true.  The lesson ran deeper then her mom knew.  Deeper than the burnt skin.  It ran all the way to her heart and never again did she want to find out what disobeying would bring.  Maybe that cold yucky heart feeling was a warning.  She prayed that she would recognize that warning for all her life.

“I’m fewing bet-toe today mom,”  Missy exclaimed as she looked at her bandaged hand.  “Wen can de ban-dwidge can come off?”

“Soon Missy.  The doctor will probably take it off tomorrow.”  

When the bandage came off Missy had a hard time moving her fingers and using her hand at all.  It took several more weeks for complete healing.  But the day came when she didn’t think about her hand and she used it just as she did before, without protecting the sensitive spots.  Her mom was right.  She did heal from the pain.  But, on the other hand, the lesson she learned found a permanent home in her brain.

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Proverbs 20:11 “Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?”

Romans 4:7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

The Green Things

THE GREEN THINGS

My favorite color

Is in many things

My favorite shade

Has to be green

Grass, leaves and 

Tangled up seaweed

Algae, Ivy and 

The Statue of Liberty

Green apple

Green pear

Dinosaur scales

Oscar the Grouch hair

Green means go

Green bean stew

Hard shiny emerald

A chlorine hair due

Green is a tea

But it’s also mold

Green Eggs and Ham

Oriental Fire-bellied Toad

She’s going green

He’ll get a Green Card

Your green with envy

My green thumb in the yard

Asparagus and broccoli

And most vegetables too

So eat your greens

Even avocado the fruit

Vampire Garlic

The Incredible Hulk

Jade stones

American Money in bulk

Umpa Lumpas

Green Tree Frogs

Leprechauns

Caci Camouflage

Lots of Iguanas

All kinds of mint

Some Axolotls

Have a greenish tint

Political green parties

Muddy green hogs

Melting green crayons

March 17th egg nog

Uranium Glass

Pyrotechnic flares

Calvotomena viridis

Anolis carolinesis’ bare

Wise old Yoda

Is green in the pores

Nine-year-old Anakin

Is green in the force 

Mucus appears green

Many dessert cacti

Aliens are green

Also gas in the sky

Slithering snake

Slow moving Turtle

Green Tree Python

Dragon who is fertile

Green stool

Sea sick on a ship

Green barf

A bruised upper lip

Green flash

A watering hose

Evergreen

Tons of tadpoles

Moss and Olives

Ferns and Limes

Watermelon bites

Trees that are Pine

Hot Jalapenos

Cold popsicle ice

Inner green guts

Outer green eyes

Green is life

Throughout time

Symbolizes growth

Always more to find

My favorite color

Is in many things

My favorite shade

Has to be green

The Ins and Outs

The Ins and Outs

The sun comes up

Blubbery pancakes with syrup

Make-up for the face

Perfume just in case

Sweep, vacuum and mop

Beds made with stuffed pets on top

Dishes in and dishes out

More dishes coming without a doubt

Take out meet for the stew

Out of rice so pasta in leu

Make the lunches in a row

Button fell off and it’s time to sow

Pick up the kids and drop them off

Keep the schedule and don’t get lost

Homework, piano and some sports

Games, movies and home made forts

Walk to the park or take a hike

Ride a scooter or maybe a bike

Dust falls here and over there

Pledge the counters for ultimate care

Do my Bible study now 

Take a moment with a reverenced bow

Lots of stuff that wants to fit in

Organize it all and do it again

Check every tank and dish

Feed the dog, cat, frogs and fish

Scoop up the poop

Air freshener for toots

Unclog the toilet and scrub the tub

Looks like the sink need a good rub

Liquid plumber for the drains

Call a professional when it rains

Cover up that boo boo

With a bandaid of Winnie The Pooh

Plan vacations for time to bond

Cover the grey with brunette or blond

Shopping for the perfect dress

Cover the belly and pay way less

Date nights gotta be a must

Get a babysitter we can trust

Volunteer for this and that

Take up a cause and go to bat

Pay the bills without a pout

Mail comes in and mail goes out

Don’t forget to fill up the tank

Don’t forget to go to the bank

Drug store and the super market

Home depot and good old target

Wonder what the darks about

The hallway bulb just burnt out

Water for that silly hiccup

Stand upside down and dink it up

Set the table and don’t stall

Dinner conversations and eat it all

Eyelids are getting heavy

Bedtime so let’s get ready

Stuffed pets on the ground

Pull the covers all the way down

Good night stories and a hug

Prayers of blessings from above

Lights out at the curfew

Kids in bed and more to do

Email, facebook and maybe texts

Recorded shows and maybe sex

Separate the darks from lights

Spray-n-wash on the knees of tights

Fold the clothes and put away

If it’s too small it just cant stay

Now it’s time for the details

Paint the finger and toe nails

Wait for them to dry

Get in a really good cry

Consider tomorrow’s ins and outs

Dinner leftovers or takeout

Preparations for the next day

Time with God with much to say
Listen to His words for me
Absorb His presence and just be

Get in bed before midnight

Wonder if I’ll get sleep tonight

By Michelle Fozounmayeh

Sunday March 6, 2011