OK Bear

So I did it. I picked an album and I went with OK Bear. I'm just listening to the first song and it's all I expected and more. There is something about Jeremy Enigk's music. It's like the after part of coming home on a shitty day, soaking wet because you forgot your umbrella, and chilled to the core because that's what the West Coast rain is like. When you get home you put on the familiar warm sweater and comfy pants. You drink some peppermint tea, maybe plug in your Christmas lights, or light some candles and eat some gingersnaps.

I like the title too. OK Bear. I say "OK Bear" several times a day.

He had his feelings hurt today. There is nothing like the gut punch of seeing your child crushed by the meanness of another child. To most people the situation would have been minor. There were two boys at the top of this big fort at the playground. They were probably about seven. Attached to this fort was a tube slide. One of the boys was sitting in the slide. Bear looked up the slide and said "Hi!" and the kid snapped back "Don't". It was pretty mean and harsh and stung me. Bear looked at me with his tear filled green eyes. He wanted to go home. I wanted to shake my fist at them and yell "Why I oughta!" Hmmm. Probably not the best thing I could do, but I sure felt it. Mom says once she was so upset at some kids teasing me she chased them down the street with a can of tomato soup. She says she had no idea what she thought she would do with the soup. I'm sure those kids still sit around and talk about it. "Remember that psycho on ABC Street that chased us with that can of soup?" I snicker to myself as I think about it. Mom always stuck up for us kids.

Bear lay on the grass emotionally defeated. He wanted to leave. It's hard to explain to a four year old that some people are grouchy, or don't know how to use their words, or just plain jerks. It's hard to watch your boy slowly realize that not everybody is a friend. It sucks.

It was such a beautiful day and Squirrel nor our play dates were ready to leave yet. So I did the first thing that came to mind. In our friend's stroller a special woolen baby bunny was sleeping. The bunny arose with dismay because her new friend Bear was sad. She lovingly pecked all the yucky feelings off Bear, til he was laughing and ready to play. We played for another hour and stopped by a pond to feed some ducks. It was a lovely afternoon. It even made me forget for a short while that I crunched the front bumper to the family car earlier that morning.