What goes around comes around

Since I follow Jesus and not Buddha or Hindu gods, I don't believe in karma. I just want to say that up front, because it's an important distinction. I'm forever grateful that God doesn't give me what I deserve. In fact, through the death and resurrection of His Son, He has given me quite the opposite. But here on earth, I can't deny that there is something to be said for the philosophy that says, "What goes around, comes around."

Here's a for instance. Yesterday, one of my editors emailed to ask if Abby would be interested in writing an article for Parenting Teens. They want a teen perspective for their February issue on boundaries, and would like for her to write a column for parents called, "How I feel about you being on Facebook." See what I mean? What goes around comes around. When I told Abby about the opportunity, she seemed a little too overjoyed, if ya' know what I mean. She shouted, "YES!" and started rubbing her palms together. I suggested she write it generically - you know, without naming names or using personal experience. No offense to the editor of the magazine, but I think it would be a more powerful piece if written in the third person. When I offered that bit of professional advice to Abby, she said, "Do you think I'm going to take it easy on you?" And then she began laughing and did not stop until approximately 11 minutes later when she asked her follow up question: "Do I get to sit in your office chair and everything?" Upon reflection, it seems that I might have used her as an illustration in speaking and writing a few too many times. And I, for one, can't wait for February.

There are, of course, other examples of ways that my own actions have come back to haunt me. Like a few weeks ago when I made cookies and didn't tell the kids they were done. Why did I do it? Because I made the cookies, so I should get my pick of the warmest, most delicious ones before all the other people who are upstairs playing PS3 or watching Honey Boo Boo or whatever. Just a few days later, though, I walked into the kitchen to find recently baked cookies that were no longer warm. Abby noted my look of distraught and confusion and said, "Maybe now you'll know not to do that to us next time." What goes around comes around.

All parents understand this concept. We know that the things we do often come back to bite us. We know it every time our parents laugh at us when our kids act just like we did when we were their age. What I'd like to point out today, though, since it's list Wednesday and all, is that we can take comfort in knowing this:

sure, what goes around is coming around for me now...but it's coming one day for the younger folk, too.

Go ahead and yuck it up now, kid, because in 25 years, you'll have your own teenagers and they will not think you're funny. Not even one bit.

You will know exactly what your parents meant when you overheard them praying for the frontal lobe to hurry up and fully develop.

You will walk into the bathroom and find this

and it will make you crazy.

You will also find toilet paper in your front yard, hanging from the trees and torn into little bits and covering the grass. But wait, there's more. There will be plastic forks in the ground, saran wrap around your car, and yarn tied like a spider web across your garage door and from your front door to your mailbox so that you have to cut your way out of the house. Also, it rained that night and the crepe paper that was wrapped around your mailbox has now stained the bricks blue. 

You'll be boring. Also, 15 year old kids will think you're old.

 

You will have to tell your kids to clean their rooms. You'll be so proud of the job they did, too...until you open the closet door and look under the bed. 

 

Technology will pass you by, and your fancy iPhone and PS3 will seem about as cool to your kids as two cups tied together with string. Don't worry, though, you'll have until they're about 7 years old before they know more about it than you do.

Now I'm sure my own kids will know that I'm not talking specifically about them in this blog. It's a generic post, as you can clearly see since I didn't use any names whatsoever past the 3rd paragraph. I very wisely took my own advice and didn't use any personal examples here (*big exaggerated wink). But just to be safe, let's keep this particular post between you and me...at least until February.