Bee Sting

Whether Dustin is your child, grandchild, or friend you can appreciate this one.

So I just finished a run and Dustin had the mower ready for me in the front yard, and he was working on the back yard. I decided that I was not going to get out of mowing even though I was tired, so I got over it and began mowing. After 3 rounds around the front yard I felt a terrible pain prickling my leg. To my surprise, I had crashed a bee house, and they were not happy. After I ran to the back yard to let Dustin know that I was hurting with terrible pain because of a bee sting, he made sure I was going to live and put some baking soda on the wound (I didn't know why, but it did take away some of the stinging feeling). The next sentence out of his mouth came directly from his heart, and I know you will appreciate this one. Dustin said, "OH GREAT! Now I have to start the mower again for you!" I couldn't believe it. I still wasn't going to get out of mowing and where was the sympathy?!! That option didn't enter his mind until the second after his statement left his mouth, my chin dropped to reveal my astonished look. Only then did he realize that maybe a tiny bit more sympathy was required to get me to do more of the yard, and his response was then, "Oh, are you done then?!?!?!"

So, the ending to this story goes like this....he took care of the bee home and did the front yard himself, while I worked on the back yard. My exhaustion grew worse, and at one point I declared, "I quit now!" and laid on the ground. That was not going to cut it for him either. We did finish the yard in a few hours and we still have some bee homes in the ground. These bees make a hole in the ground and you don't see them until it is too late. And the thing about starting the lawn mower...the rest of that day I started it MYSELF, which I was never able to do before!

The next time you talk to Dustin, remind him that even if he doesn't feel sympathetic, at least act like he is sympathetic. That will get him further in the end!