How A Roadrunner Saved My Wife’s Sanity
A true story of parental genius
My wife Kathleen is one smart lady. I knew this from the start. When we met in college, I quickly learned that she always had a stack of library books nearby, covering a range of subjects that bewildered me. I had my interests and liked to read, sure, but her mind ranged all over the place. That’s why, for a few years, she made one heck of a reference librarian.
Whether or not such mental acumen prepares one for parenthood is unclear. I suspect it really doesn’t, but sometimes it can help. The following is a case in point.
When she was in first grade, Elizabeth, the youngest of our five children, developed a dread of bedtime. This was neither the usual refusal to go to bed nor a refusal to sleep once in bed. No, this was an actual fear, manifesting in hysterics when the lights went out.
In talking to her about it, Kathleen discovered the root of this terror: there were snakes under the bed! Well, no, actually there weren’t, but Elizabeth had become convinced they were there, just waiting to chomp her once darkness descended.
In such a situation, most parents, being logical critters, would try to convince their daughter that these fears were unfounded. There are no snakes under the bed. There are no snakes anywhere in the…
