A Rainy Sunday Afternoon

Outside my window it is pouring down rain. It has been doing so since early morning. I took my granddaughter home a little while ago. It was a little bit of a relief. I think her parents gave her chocolate candy bars and double espressos before bringing her over here yesterday. She was wired for sound and we had more than a few disagreements and battles of will. Yesterday after I returned home from the serenity of the monastery my wife and I took her to the park to feed the ducks. I detected some of her father's genetic makeup in her. Like her Dad she is a risk taker and has little fear. She kept wanting to climb down the rocky embankment and get in the water with the ducks. Being an overly cautious Pa Paw I kept envisioning the rest of the day being spent in the ER while one of us received stitches from the gash received after falling on the rocks. Eventually we got our of there alive. The next battle was a trip to Target where she quickly picked a $40 toy. With a little effort I convinced her to trade the $40 toy for two $6 toys. I was happy with the $28 savings I had made. She and my wife headed to the checkout. When I met them at the front of the store the two $6 toys had morphed into one $30 toy. So, with a convincing and strong willed granddaughter, kindness equates to this mathematical formula: Kindness = $40. Superior Intelligence = $40 replaced by $12 = $28 Savings. Superior Intelligence outwitted by Convincing Smile and Strong Will = $12 + $18 = $30 which is the amount charged to my Debit Card. The smile on my granddaughter's face? Priceless! For everything else there is MasterCard!

I'm going to enjoy the rest of this rainy afternon in my chair with a good book and a short nap...maybe at the same time.