Today I did my part to save the world

There was a bee on the window screen. Naturally, I wanted it to stay on the screen and to not fly around the house. Seeing it, my children would no doubt freak out and start climbing up the chimney to get away. So I did what any sensible woman would do in this situation: I quickly shut the window and went about my business. I figured I could just “wait the bee out.”

That only lasted a few seconds, actually. I took two steps and then looked back at it pitifully buzzing, silently now, and banging itself first against the screen, then the glass, and back again, over and over. “Poor thing!” I thought, though still unrepentant.

Then I remembered that bees have been in short supply in recent years. [Silent buzz. Bang. Bash. Buzz.] I stood there watching it.

Then I remembered how bees enable flowers to reproduce and fruit to grow. [More quiet, impotent buzzing. More frustrated banging.]

Then I remembered reading that a shortage of bees meant difficulty making ice cream and the possibility of ice cream prices rising.

I sprang into action!

Rummaging under the kitchen sink, I found the lovely long purple cleaning gloves my husband bought me years ago. “They still look brand new,” I mused. “I wonder how that could be.” Then, so armed–at least to the elbow–I returned to the bee window. With the translucent curtain between me and the bee, like a desperate hazmat suit, I slowly slid the window back open, reached in and jiggled the sides of the screen until it popped loose in my hands. I tipped it outward and watched that silly bee crawling along the screen before it realized it was free and took off. I sighed with relief and beamed a little with pride at my ingeniousness.

You’re welcome Ben & Jerry’s! You’re welcome, World!

Speaking of saving the world, how about doing so one marriage at a time? Know anyone getting married this summer? Feel like your marriage could use a boost? Have a great marriage but know you could always be happier?

Check out tip #88 from 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage, by Yours Truly and my boss, Dr. Jennifer Morse.

Extend yourself in an open-ended way, as in, “How can I help?” If you just blunder ahead and solve the problem, your spouse may feel you don’t respect his or her ability to solve it.

Plus, you’ll take away the satisfaction your spouse will receive from having solved the issue on his or her own. The self-confidence gained in a situation such as this may be a necessary tool in completing larger, more difficult tasks. Allow your spouse this opportunity to grow.

(Is this perfect with today’s post or what?) Want more marriage-rejuvenating tips? Check the book out here. Go on. It’ll be okay. I promise. And if you order, I’ll buy you ice cream! 🙂 You can also request a copy directly from me and I’ll autograph it and inscribe it for whomever you want! What a deal! Ice cream and an autographed book!