On a rainy Saturday, I was seated in the library reading Jane Eyre enjoying my afternoon tea, and biscuits when thunder, roared over the house with a streak of lightning flashing across the sky.
I stood, approached the window to peer out onto my prize winning Sheffield England topiary garden. My sight paralyzed me with the fear every parent who is more protective of their first born child.
My eyes were trying to focused with horror as Sienna my 5-year-old daughter climbed upon the backside of out family pet Sherlock who was an oversized and tall, 150-pound Newfoundland.
At the time Sienna’s height was 1.37m, (4’6″) and weighed 5.7 stone (80 lbs). She held in her left hand a plastic play sword as she climbed up on the backside of Sherlock to climb up my prize winning topiary hedges!
When she reached the top of the hedge, she stood erect, head held high looking into the sky pointing the play sword skyward, like a plundering Viking.
I thought to myself, please God, don’t let her be struck by lightening.
Suddenly, I became conflicted with my fear for Sienna being electrocuted, with my concern for Sherlock’s white coat of hair matted with Sienna’s muddy footprints or the horribly smudged cracks in my prize winning hedges that are over one-hundred years old!
With another roar of thunder and streak of lightening Sienna, became afraid climbing down my beloved hedges, further destroying them with her sword in hand onto Sherlock’s backside adding more matted footprints to his coat of hair. When her feet touched the ground, she ran towards the house with Sherlock galloping behind her through puddles of water.
I ran from the library to meet them both in the mud room as Sherlock shook excessively sending water in every direction while Sienna dried herself using my new house apron.
I stood before them as an English mother filled with anger, terror, and disgust with the mess they were making. They both stood quietly looking startled when they noticed the English anger seething from my body.
It was from that day forward I knew my life with Sienna would never be the same.
But on this day of wedding bliss, I witnessed my first born marry the love of her life, and I can only hope they will share in similar experiences with our first born grandchild so my husband and I can have a chuckle.
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