Who knew that a carrot could leave a perfectly circular hole in the kitchen window?
At that moment the world stopped as three people stood and stared out the window into the night. And then it was gone, into the folklore that was and is my family. My Father replaced the window, there might have been some form of punishment for the act, and then life went on.
We live our lives preparing, waiting and experiencing the Big Events – that graduation, promotion, wedding, the birth of a child. And in between we have these moments that are filed away for later enjoyment, like hiding a bag of Skittles in your desk (or Snickers for sure!). At the time they may mean little but later on, especially as you hit your senior years and there are fewer Big Events on the horizon, they have a way of popping back to the top of the file basket, ready to be savoured like fine wine.
This morning, being a quiet Sunday with my wife and son out of town, I settled on the couch with a good cup of coffee and Pluto-TV burbling in the background. Kind of a zen moment, that even now seem far too rare. Frieda was off snooting about in my office, maybe looking for a place to snooze where it is cool. Just a moment to unwind, and pardon the cliche, smell the coffee!
As I sat there just enjoying the moment I heard the click of little nails on the hardwood and my usually fireball pup appeared at my feet, looking up at me with that little smile she gives when she is seriously happy. Without a sound she popped up on the couch next to me, flopped her head onto my lap and fell asleep with a contented sigh.
And this was a Moment, not just one that we will both remember in the days, weeks, months ahead but a Moment we need.
And it reminded me of the flying carrot.
The Big Events in life will take care of themselves; we have spent the necessary time and effort to make them happen, and if not then they really weren’t the ‘Big’ Event we thought they would be. But the moments in between, these ARE the BIG events. Sure they won’t mean the difference in a promotion or achievement, but unlike the ‘Big’ events they are not something we want; they are something we need.
The moments we need remind us that we are human, not perfect, and give us a connection with other not perfect humans. Even now 50 years later the simple mention of the carrot flying through the kitchen window will bring laughter and conversation between myself and my sisters! And there is a beauty in the moments we need we could never achieve with the big events. The big events we have scrolls, paycheques and ribbons to remind us, the moments we need can return at any time without prompting.
As for the carrot it was never found. Perhaps Rusty nibbled it up off the front lawn or it bounced into the prickle bushes between the house and beach. And we may never know how it made a perfectly circular hole in the kitchen window. But we will always know who ducked and who threw it, and that is all we will ever need.
Happy Sunday people!
Mark