"I don't like it when you don't think things through."

-         Kilee Johnson

Boomerang Words

I was in the garage in one of my fancy outfits when my daughter, Kilee drove up.

"Nice outfit!" she chortled. "Duck shoes with no socks, a polo and gym shorts?  What are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to go out and change a sprinkler system valve." I replied.

"Do you want some help?"

"Sure." I said.  "I could use some horse protection.  You know how Rocky always hassles me while I work in the pasture."

Rocky is our big gray quarter horse.  He has a most out of the ordinary personality.  When I work on my hands and knees, in the field, he comes prancing over and begins to tease me.  He bites my hat and runs off with it.  He picks up my tools and flings them in all directions as he whips his neck and head around like a merry-go-round. 

It always takes me more time to complete work with Rocky around.  It also makes me a little nervous to be down on the ground with such a huge monster lurking above me.  I know that it would take just one small spook and I would be nothing but ground hoof meat, crushed deep into what would become oozing red mud!  I was glad to have Kilee's protection!

Kilee sheltered me from stinky horse breath while I was down on my hands and knees replacing the valve. It felt like old times.  We've spent lots of time together working on our small ranch.  It's given us time to talk and get to know each other.  Now that she's married we don't get to spend as much time together. That's as it should be.  But, I still miss our common exertion.

Through the years I've also spent our time together spouting my little sayings hoping that they would somehow stick within her mind.  I wanted them to come readily to her mind as she lived her life.  I hoped they would act as little billboards giving her direction and assistance as she rode the trails of life.

I have all daughters and I've worked to prepare them to live productive, happy lives and my little aphorisms have become something of a joke between us.   One is, "come on! Be a man!"  I'd say that when my girls were a little whinny about things.  They'd laugh and just file it away every time I'd say it. Now, whenever I get a little whinny all three girls look at me with a huge grin and say, "Come on Dad, be a man!"

I've heard my words thrown back at me before, but I didn't expect it from Kilee on this day.  We had just finished replacing the sprinkler valve, while horse dancing, and were working on the drip line in our potato garden when out of the blue, boomerang words hit me right in the forehead!

I was looking down at the drip line.  I had been looking up at the sky.  I was looking right at Kilee when the boomerang struck.  We were discussing how to best add more pipe onto the existing line. We talked it through and couldn't agree on how to best do it.  Finally, Kilee looked up at me and said, "I don't like it when you don't think things through!"  Then she flashed a tidy, sly little grin.  And, her eyes sparkled as she said it!

What could I say? Nothing!  I had said it all before.  It was one of my little sayings coming back at me again!  Boomerang!

Here were my words coming home to roost.  But, they are also roosting inside the mind of Kilee.  My hopes of having my little sayings locked into her mind have been fulfilled.  I'm glad to have them coming back around to me. 

Words are a powerful thing. Now that I have this experience I'm a lot more careful with what I say.  I want all the good words to come back and none of the bad so I've recommitted to words of grace, words of kindness, and words of hope.

 I hope when your words come back to you they'll be pleasing to your ears and comforting to your soul!