You Try to Do the Best You Can

I decided to build myself a house. I bought a lot of bricks, cement, wood and nails. I didn’t create a blueprint. I like to work intuitively.

It took two weeks. When it was done, I moved my family into our new home.

They weren’t comfortable at first. I forgot to buy glass for windows, so the open spaces let in wind, rain, cold and various animals. I did what I read in a relationship book, which was to listen to my family’s complaints, and then repeat back what they said so they felt heard. It made things okay for a little while.

But then one night my wife was attacked by a mosquito swarm and she was so upset she took our kids and moved into a hotel. I tried repeating back what she said over the phone, but she hung up.

I sat by myself in my house.

I said, “Well, it looks like it’s just you and me.”

The house said, “Oh, geez”and caved in on itself. I was spared because an open space landed around me.

I left and went to the hotel where my family was staying. I crawled in bed next to my wife. I put my arm around her. I fell asleep.