ZEN BUILDING

“Okay, it’s finally here!” I called from the front door as I dragged the large cardboard box into the house.

I’d ordered my son Max a small dining room table with two chairs for his house.

My son Alex came into the living room. “Do you want me to help you put it together?”

I began ripping the package open. “I think I’ve got this.” I began tugging the pieces from the box.

“All right. Call me if you need any help.” Alex went back to his room.

I sat on the floor surrounded by the furniture pieces, a bag of screws and nuts, and two little metal wrenches. I held up the Allen wrench. “I’ve used you too many times to count!”

I picked up the directions and gave them a quick scan. “Okay, I think I’ve got this.”

I began putting together the first chair. After dropping the Allen wrench several times, misplacing the nuts and screws, and failing to hold the pieces together while I tried to get the screws in place, I dropped everything on the floor. “I’M DONE!” I cried out as I stormed to my bedroom, threw myself on the bed, and began playing solitaire on my phone, waiting until I could calm down and try again.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been in my room when I heard someone in the living room.

I got up to check and when I came down the hallway I could see Alex with the unfinished chair up on our dining room table putting it together.

I envied the calm look on his face.

“How do you do that?” I asked.

“Do what?” He was tightening up the last screw before placing the newly finished chair next to the first he’d completed.

“Stay so calm when you put things together?”

“I don’t know.” Alex shrugged his shoulders. “It just doesn’t seem to bother me.”

Just then my husband Steven came into the room and saw Alex putting the furniture together. “Hey, do you need some help?” Steven picked up the directions and began moving nuts and bolts out of his way.

“I’m good.” Alex said as he calmly took the directions from Steven’s hand.

Steven shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, call me if you need me.” He went down the hallway to our bedroom.

I looked at Alex and began to laugh. “Your Dad has less patience putting things together than I do.”

Alex nodded his head and laughed. “That’s for sure.”

I picked up the top of the table. “Can you use some help putting this together?”

He picked up one of the table legs. “Well, that all depends.” He looked at me and raised his eyebrows. “Are you calm enough now?”

“I think so.” I had to laugh. “Besides you’re the one who’s actually putting it together. I’m just planning on being the one who’s holding the pieces for you!”

“I think that’s a perfect plan.”