Hugs To Wrap Around the World

Chapter One: Reaching Out We all feel at times like we're running on a hamster wheel. Just running, around and around, with no end in sight. Today, though, you jumped off! You left the dishes piled in the sink and ran to a friend who needed a shoulder to cry on. Or maybe you left work early, even though your desk was covered with paperwork, to buy Christmas presents for kids at the battered women and children's shelter down the road. Whatever it was you did for someone else, it felt good. You traded all the tasks on your todo list for something of greater significance. And you noticed something. Nothing dreadful happened. The earth kept spinning on its axis. No natural disasters could be traced back to your change in schedule. In fact, sometimes it's exactly when life seems to be spinning out of control -- when you just don't think you could possibly help anybody else because your life is such a mess -- that we need to reach out. Somehow you just do it, and afterward you know why it pays to go the extra mile. Who knows, maybe you really needed that walk more than the person who asked you to join her. At any rate, it sure beats running on that wheel. The Gift The phone rang as Cheryl was starting another load of laundry. It was the third one she'd done that day, along with cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming the entire house, mopping the kitchen floor, and taking care of the three children -- all while her husband sat in his home office leisurely working at the computer. Cheryl had thought Gary's going into business for himself and having his office at home would be great for the family. But now she realized that meant her husband never left work. Working was all he seemed to be doing these days. "I'm not answering!" Cheryl hollered to Gary. "I don't have time to talk to anyone." She knew she sounded haggard. That was how she felt, and she wanted Gary to know it. Today was Saturday. She'd been trying to make her feelings known all week. Ring, ring. "This is the Stone residence. Sorry we missed your call..." Cheryl could hear the answering machine from the hall. Figures, she thought. Gary can't even take the time to answer the phone around here. Then she muttered under her breath to whoever might be calling. "Don't hold your breath. 'As soon as possible' is gonna be a while." Gary had decided to quit his job to become an independent contractor three months earlier with Cheryl's full support. He had plenty of computer expertise, and they felt confident he could get enough consulting work to make a good living. She just hadn't realized how hard he would have to work to make that happen. For all her grumpiness, Cheryl knew Gary was a good husband. He'd always participated fully with the three children, waking up for nighttime feedings when they were babies, taking turns shuttling the oldest to school and practice for whatever sport was in season. He'd stop by the grocery store or the pizza place on the way home from work to pick up supper, and he'd throw in a load or reaching out two of laundry when necessary. They had been a good team -- always busy, but somehow it had worked. Until recently. Cheryl understood that Gary was feeling the burden of responsibility to make it in his new venture and be able to support the family. This is only for a little while, until he gets going, she kept telling herself. But lately the positive self-talk was being drowned out by self-pity. Sure, he's working, but I work full-time too, plus I'm doing everything else around here. Their second-grader had homework at least a couple of nights a week, and the twin toddlers were a handful -- the house seemed in a continual state of disaster. Cheryl was worn out and at the end of her rope. And when Gary didn't answer the phone, it felt like the last straw. Her mental grumbling was interrupted by the voice on the answering machine. "Cheryl, thisWeiss, LeAnn is the author of 'Hugs To Wrap Around the World ', published 2007 under ISBN 9781416553144 and ISBN 1416553142.