By Thrive Wellness
•
28 Jul, 2023
The knock, knock, knock on my front door was loud and startling. It was followed by a quick ringing of the doorbell and a cacophony of other noises- my son yelling “MOM!! DOOR,” the dogs barking- their nails click- clacking on the wooden floor as they quickly scrambled and slipped toward the front door. I arrived at the front door frazzled and disheveled- not expecting anyone to visit- especially at dinner time. As I open the front door, I see him- unannounced and ready to eat- Uncle Oscar Calvin Diablo (OCD). I immediately invite him in- his dirty boots tracking mud all over my freshly cleaned floors, his booming voice echoing through the floors and ceilings of my great room. I try to gently redirect- “It’s so nice to see you Uncle Oscar, I would love to visit for awhile, but we didn’t prepare enough dinner.” “Oh, that’s no problem,” he retorts, “I won’t eat much.” Rather than continue to push back, I give in to his demands and host this uninvited dinner guest. Throughout the rest of the evening, his presence causes us to restructure all of our family’s plans. Homework isn’t done, dishes aren’t cleaned, and the movie we planned to watch as a family will just have to wait.