Monday Morning Moment

Introducing my husband's cousin, my dear sister friend (we aren't really related, I just married into a great family) and writer extraordinaire: LaRae Collins. She sends a Monday Morning Moment email most weeks to the staff at her school in Texas. I begged to be on the list and she acquiesced. I think she should have her own blog, but until she does, I am going to share her wit and wisdom on my blog.

Without further ado, my very own guest blogger, LaRae Collins and Monday Morning Moment:

Some people think an adventure is something exotic and dangerous, like a safari or diving with sharks. But my adventures occur in unexpected places like the freezer section at Walmart. Daughter Kelli is often with me and since these events happen so often, we began saying, “Always an adventure” or “AAA” for short.

Little did I know that a quick trip to the Electra lumber store after school yesterday would turn into my most embarrassing adventure.

I needed a couple of small hooks for a project and a gentleman showed me which ones would likely work best. He took them to the wooden counter and motioned for a lady to come take my money. As I was digging change from my purse, the lady looked at me, then began saying, “Oh, oh, OH, OH” louder and louder. Then she pointed at my neck with each “OH.” I finally said, “What?” and she whisper-shouted “SPIDER!” At that instant, I felt it – scurrying from my neck down the front of my shirt.

I began a crazy spider-dance (it’s a miracle I didn’t make it rain!), but no arachnid appeared on the floor. Fear overcame modesty and I turned to Brenda’s dad Mr. Thompson who was standing beside me and said, “Mr. Thompson, turn your back ‘cause I’m comin’ out of this shirt.” Without looking up, he said, “Oh, ok” and started to turn. But the lady pointed around the corner to another room and told me to go in there.

Seconds later after a vigorous shaking of a shirt that was no longer on my body, there still was no spider. Thank goodness. Then I realized I couldn’t see my back, and the spider might be crouched there, just waiting to crawl his furry legs back up my back. Holding my shirt in front of me, I leaned out to ask the lady to check my back. But at that moment, the salesman, who had missed the first excitement, walked by peeked in to see what was going on. There I was, covered up, but obviously not wearing a shirt. He disappeared faster than the spider had!

Yesterday marked the beginning of our new adventure at school. There will be times when challenges seem to fall from the sky and make us squirm and want to do a crazy-dance. There will be days we feel like our best efforts are ineffective and we’ll wonder if WalMart is hiring greeters. But I am confident that miracle moments – those times you know you are where you are supposed to be – will outnumber the hard times. They always do. Let the adventure begin!
AAA, LaRae