PROOFING THE NOTE

Topics: Communication; Family; Relationships; Spouses

Reference: 2 Timothy 2:24

My farmer husband, Larry, isn’t a cook. So when I accepted a lunch invitation with former coworkers, I put food for Larry in the oven and scribbled a note: “Dinner in oven.” Returning at 4:00 p.m., I waved at Larry working outside, but he didn’t wave back. Guess he’s had a bad day, I thought.

In the kitchen, the plot thickened. There were no dirty dishes, and the casserole was still in the oven. Only a sandwich that I intended to throw away was missing from the refrigerator.

When Larry came in, I asked, “What did you have for dinner?”

Silence.

“Did you get my note?”

“Sure did,” he replied gruffly. “It said, ‘Dinner is over!’ ”

I now proofread all my notes.

—Evelyn Shetter, “Lite Fare,” Christian Reader (May–June 2000)