Storm Troopers

We've come to realize our parents and children have busier social lives than we do.

I've been randomly calling my parents during the past week and didn't get a hold of them until today. When my dad did answer the phone, he said, "Yes, we're still here." I thought he was referring to the fact that they hadn't been around. I thought maybe some of my siblings had scolded them for leaving town on some wild casino junket without letting someone know. But he was actually referring to the fact they survived a wicked storm that just passed through.

They each were on a phone, telling me how dark it got, how there was a calm before the storm, then "really big" lightning. Living 200 miles away, I am often oblivious to weather patterns passing through their area of the state. Quite often, though, the system travels southeast and we get a taste of the same thing -- just a bit later.

Early this afternoon, aware storms were coming, Mom and Dad kept an eye on the TV. They said they freaked out when the weather alert specifically listed the storm cell's location as "4 miles northeast of Cushing" -- pretty much exactly where they live.

"So, did you run into the basement?" I asked.

"No," they both said. "We stayed upstairs to watch it."

Perhaps I should revise the opening sentence of this blog entry: We've come to realize our parents and children don't always think their decisions through.

Maybe that's why we appreciate all the more hearing them say, "Yes, we're still here!"