Karma

I wasn't always one to believe in karma. Sure I knew my actions had consequences, but the realization that my positive actions brought favorable changes into the lives of others was beyond my grasp. I was a me, myself, and I person. It was actually quite selfish of me. But I am trying my best as a parent to open my children's eyes to karma, that their choices- good and bad- affect not only themselves but the people around them.

After the kids go to bed, we've been watching the redneck sitcom My Name Is Earl. Even though the show is slightly off kilter and downright crude at times, Earl's Karma Guide rings pretty darn true. If you want a better life, you need to be a better person...do good things and good things will happen to you...the secret to life is fixing all the bad things that you've done. Maybe, just maybe, we still have the chance to right our wrongs.

So Jason C., wherever you are...I'm sorry I teased you in the 3rd grade. I'm sorry I threw your backpack uphill to watch you run for it because I knew you would have trouble doing so. Kids can be so cruel. I saw an article in a local publishing that you graduated college with honors and I smiled as I read it. I hope that you've been able to find peace and happiness. I hope you can forgive. Please know that while I can never take my actions back, I am teaching my boys to be more aware of how their actions affect others.

Weston was first oriented with karma back in March of '04. It was nearly Easter so we'd gone to have some family pictures taken and of course go see the Easter Bunny at the mall. After a much-longer-than-quoted wait and a disastrous experience at the Picture People trying to get Weston to smile to no avail, we went to see good ol' E.B. I should have known that the boys were not in the mood to grace the lap of a stranger in a furry white costume. I should have seen the sheer gleam of sinfulness in Wes's eyes. He wanted revenge for having to sit in the bloody picture studio. God forbid someone want the boy to smile...twice...in one day. That was just too much for him. So he hauled off and spanked the Easter Bunny! More than once. The Easter Bunny shook his finger disapprovingly at Wes. Weston scowled. We were already frustrated, exhausted parents but being amongst a crowd of people we decided a spanking for a spanking wasn't going to teach him anything. Beating up the Easter Bunny was not going to be tolerated. So we had a good talk with him about karma and how it was going to come back to bite him in the ass.

We headed straight for the car. On the way out, Wes was throwing a hissy and swinging his arms and he started to walk head down in despair. No sooner had we finished the karma conversation than SMACK, he met karma head-on as he walked into a metal street sign! We giggled at the irony of it all. People around us chuckled too when they realized he was ok. He literally bounced back. Yes, Weston and karma met that day and he is reminded of it frequently.

Somewhere out there, there's a smoking hot rich guy and an Easter Bunny cheering karma on.