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January 2, 2000

The Morning After the Nights Before

Down came the Christmas tree today, down came the festive decorations. Colorful tablecloths were removed from the tables and the last treats consumed. Tree needles were vacuumed from the carpets. The house now looks tidy and clean and very, very bare. It will take several days to become accustomed to the lack of color and clutter.

"The Teenager" has enjoyed celebrating the New Year, she has enjoyed it beyond her capacity to enjoy. Teenagers are not renowned for their serenity at the best of times; when tired they create a whole new category of difficult. "The Teenager" does not feel that she is being difficult today. She feels one hundred percent confident that we are out of our minds. Why else would we be giving her such a hard time? Sleep has been prescribed all round.

It seems a small thing, to remain cheerful in the face of conflict and adversity. However, it is something that I consistently fail to accomplish. I am a great believer in the positive attitude; in love conquers all; in laughter is the best medicine. My problem is that I like to tell what I consider to be witty jokes when I feel cheerful. When I am feeling cheerful this is lots of fun. In my attempt to remain cheerful when I am anything but, I tell jokes. I call them jokes. I have found that most people are quite humorless during conflict resolution (particularly teenagers).

So, I am about to take my own advice and retire for the evening. I'm sure tomorrow I'll be funny again.