Beech Tree News Network

When our kids were small, my husband, Garey, would always talk to them with a very serious tone when he was trying to make a point.  He would never threaten, but he would warn and caution them about things, and say it in such a way that made them think, and sometimes even worry, about adverse consequences.  They were always coming to me with, Dad said this and Dad said that.  I was the sounding board off which they bounced his admonitions. 
    My favorite was the time Natalie told me that Garey told her and Nikki if they didn’t stop making so much noise when they were in the grocery store, people were going to think they were a couple of nincompoop heathens.  She was pretty stressed out about it until I told her the term was something her Dad had made up on the spot; and people might think they were loud and unruly, but nincompoop heathens probably would not spring to mind.
    Our granddaughter, Sabria, often comes to me with, Papa said this and Papa said that, just like her mom did with Garey when she was Sabria’s age.  She’ll come in with her new spin toothbrush and say, “Papa said if I turn my toothbrush on one more time, he’s going to take it away from me, but I like to watch it spin.”
    “Well, you’d better not turn it on in front of him,” I say, “Because Papa always does what he says he’s going to do.”  And he does.
    Sabria knows that, just like Natalie and Nikki did.  They dread it, but they also count on it.  If Garey Hughes says he’s going to do something, you can take it to the bank.
    Unlike Natalie and Nikki, Sabria has picked up some of Garey’s techniques, his tools of the trade, so to speak.  One of his favorites is to engage you in the process by asking you questions. He might say something like, “It hurts when you step on my toe like that, do you want me to show you how it feels?”  It’s a trick question, of course, but it really made the kids consider their responses carefully.  It made Sabria consider how to use the technique to her advantage.
    Last week, Natalie fixed Sabria some chicken nuggets and fries.  Sabria loves ketchup, so Nat told her she would have to take off the pretty dress she was wearing before she could dip her nuggets and fries in ketchup.  Sabria kept delaying the process, but Natalie stood firm in her directive to remove the dress.
    Sensing she was getting nowhere in her bid to stay in the dress, Sabria asked Natalie a question.
“Mama, do you like that tee shirt?”  (Natalie was wearing one of her favorite sleep shirts.)
    “Yes,” she said, “I really like this tee shirt.”
    “Do you like wearing that tee shirt?” she followed up.
    “Yes, I like wearing this tee shirt,” Natalie said.
    “Well, I like wearing this dress,” she said. 
    Follow through, point, and game—a delivery that made Garey laugh out loud. 
    “She’s just three,” I reminded him, “The teacher may become the student before it’s all over.”
    That gave him reason for pause. 
    It gave me reason to feel sorry for my great-grandkids.