When The Going Gets Tough..

If you are of a "certain age," you may remember Josephine the Plumber. I'm kind of like that - always have been. While I certainly know that I am not in control, I have always been a fixer, of sorts. I am not talking about the DIY type of fixer, but I've been the one in the family who has tried to make things right. At times, possessing that trait was - and is - a good thing; other times it most definitely is not. Sometimes, it is better to leave well enough alone and let others figure it out for themselves, no matter how much I want to reach into my bag and throw a wrench at the problem.

For the past month, I have been fighting my urge to "fix" something that is not mine to repair. There are many experts working on this situation, but as most fixers do, I have wanted to be involved. After all, I've been Josephine for 20 years. I have the tools, right?

That made me think about my daughter. She is a remarkable person. She is the Macgyver of the family.She can fix a car, build furniture, repair plumbing; she can do it all. While I may be the fixer of many things personal or emotional within our family, my daughter is the more pragmatic fixer of things physical. It seems that some of her practicality has rubbed off on her brother, as I noticed when watching an interview he did on TV this weekend while doing a show. The video cut from his talking to skating in rehearsal. There, in full sight, was the problem staring me in the face. There, in full sight, was the practical temporary fix that my daughter would have taken had the situation presented itself. As a matter of fact, it made me remember several times in her ski racing career when she did exactly the same thing.

There is a saying that I hadn't thought of in a long time: When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct Tape. Apparently, Macgyver has nothing on my family. Josephine could have learned a lesson or two. I know I did.

Post Script: Problem solved. I'll send my bill tomorrow :)