Honkin' mad

This is really how I tend to think lately.

So I feel I must tell this story.

Yesterday afternoon was crazy busy. Drew had sign language class after school, so I had to pick him up at the elementary and take him to the middle school. It's two hours long so I went to Wal-Mart while I was waiting. After picking him up, we had to speed home and get warm clothes on because he had soccer practice 20 minutes away. I had maybe ten minutes at the house before having to leave again. Nate was ready and waiting when we got home so he loaded the boys up sat in the car to wait on me. I grabbed the phone to check my messages and put tights on and dug around in the closet looking for my coat. That's it. As I came down the stairs, Nate started honking. Honk, honk, hoooonk. This is the source of many arguments for us. After the first couple honks, I could feel my blood pressure rising. No lie, he continued honking for a solid four minutes. Then he sent Drew in. I slammed the door to the house as hard as I could and stomped to the car. I angrily stared out the window hoping he wouldn't say a word because I knew I was going to blow. Then he said it. "What in the world were you doing? I've been waiting forever on you. I wanted to get to practice a few minutes early, but noooo you had to get on the phone." I didn't pray, I didn't count to ten, I didn't even think, I just erupted. I yelled, very loudly, a lot of things, actually, but I ended by saying "The only reason that I got on the phone was to check if the daggone practice was canceled!" This being punctuated by slamming my fist with each word on the dashboard. daggone! SLAM! practice! SLAM! was! SLAM! canceled! SLAM!

Silence.
Followed by uproarious laughter.
By them, not me.

Drew, rolling around laughing, said, "Mom, your nostrils were flared, like this!" Then the boys acted it out, over and over again. Slam, flare, slam, flare, etc.

Then I laughed.

This is the story of our marriage. He's impatient, I've got a temper. But, we like to laugh. Nate can win any argument hands down if he can find a way to make me laugh. And the boys have figured it out too. I'm glad, really, because it never fails to remind me that this life is too short to be mad about horn honks or impatient husbands. The other good thing is that Nate moves on quickly. He never holds grudges or anger. Actual apologies are few and far between by him, but mostly it's because he's already over it and moved on and wondering what in the world my problem is. Well, we both have a problem with wanting to be right, so to finish the story....

After the laughter had died down, I turned to him and said, "If you were really in such a hurry, I wouldn't have chosen this way to go. It's longer than the other way." He argued and so now we have a bet going. Next week we'll go my way to see which is shorter. We shook hands and everything. I'm sure I'm right.

So, I'm over it.
For now.

P.S. I am not proud of letting the d-word fly. I know that this and my anger are corrupt communication. In order to minister grace to you, I had to be honest.

P.S.S. It's been a long time since I've lost it like that. Amazing how fast I can forget my favorite chapter, Ephesians 4.

I'll try remembering this Sunday morning when I know the honks will start again.

(Check out this video about marriage that gets quoted quite frequently around here.)