My Returned Love

I am in love.

"Ha!" you say, "we know you are married, we hope you are in love."


But this is no mere man I find myself infatuated with today.
Nor is this the first time I have found myself thus smitten.

"Who is it!?" you declare, "we must know the source of such infatuation!"

Ah, but you must understand a few things before I share who has melted my heart yet again.

It was a very hot morning, well over 100F. It was almost time for swim lessons for the toddlers; so I was prepping the wiggly boys. One down, one to go. I changed him into his swim diaper, then his swimsuit and coated him with sunscreen as if I were frosting a birthday cake. (Yes, I even rubbed it into his very blond hair..) Then I remembered the complaint of his swim teacher of the day before.

"Ouch! You have sharp nails!" she exclaimed as he gouged baby half moons into her well tanned shoulder.

I felt compassion for this woman with the perfect body. She has yet to understand how easy it can be to ignore such little things when you are a mom of five. So with ten minutes to spare, I reached for my purse to dig out the nail clippers to manicure my babe.

"What? Where is my purse?" My mind flew wildly through my disembarkment from the van just a mere two hours previous. "NO! I couldn't Have!"

I had left my purse forgotten between the front seats of my minivan. It was a very sad moment. Then the sadness calmed as my almost half-left-brained mind worked on a solution to the problem. The panic was peering past the almost logic, just waiting for a sign of weakness.

Time was over for me to make any definite plans toward a solution as it was time to drag the whimpering boys over to swim lessons. I think they sensed my dismay. They, who had become much calmer at the swim lesson prospect over the last week, were once again filled with trepidation. I calmed them the best I could and we worked our way through.

At the end of swim lessons, my plan solidified as I walked around the baby pool holding the hand of a slowly relaxing two year-old. Toys and shallow water eventually lulled him into acceptance and I asked a fellow swim parent to borrow his cell phone. Because my dear friends, I am part of the cell phone deprived. Please, all pause for a moment of silence at my lack.

I called my husband.

"But you said this love affair was not with your husband!?" you say.

True.. altho my dear husband played a signifacant role, just as the friend with the cell phone. But neither of them are my hero in this story. Now, let me continue.

I asked my husband to make another phone call. As the number I needed was in my purse...in the car. He agreed and called.

Soon swim lessons were over and we packed up all six kids.

"Six kids?" you ask, "didn't you just say you are the mom of five?"

There you go, getting me off topic. I am the mom of five..but today I also had a nephew with me. So, we packed up all six kids' stuff and walked out to the van.

"Are you not panicking now?" you ask.

I was a bit nervous, but I had faith my returned love would rescue me.

We tried the doors to the van, but they were still locked. This is when panic almost got to come out of hiding, but then it happened!

"Oh, Oh what was it?"

The door clicked unlocked. We were able to climb into the van and leave without any more hassel than usual.

So, who is my returned love? This is an old friend, I last saw at church this spring. Before that was a couple days before Christmas well over a year ago.

I am in love once again


with ONSTAR.

Thank you ONSTAR. You think those people in the commercials sound sappy? You would too. I have. This is a true love.