January 2nd 2013 1:56 pm
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There are two reigning philosophies of thought, here at my Realm of Suburbia. "Some" of the family are Stoic, and "some" of the family are Pathetic.

I am Pathetic. Supremely Pathetic, as one might presume from a word invented just to describe Me, Queen Sophine: Sophathetic.

Pennie definitely belongs to the Stoics. Mom is Stoic. Mom and Pennie are very good at Dogging Up, Momming Up, suffering in silence, and simply getting the job done. During Mom's first week of illness, while Dad was away for three days, despite Mom suffering from high fevers and bone wracking coughs, she still managed to do the laundry, run the dishwasher, and get the Lads to all their activities. Dad checked in regularly, of course, but he had two Stoics in charge at home: Mom and Nurse Pennie. As Dad said, only ONCE, but unfortunately he said it all and has forever regretted it: "I dated sports cars, but I married a sedan." Yes, Dad actually said that, and it seems to be one of those unforgettable statements. Dad knows that with his Stoic (plus Pennie) in charge he can be gone for days on end, and come home to clean, fed, home-worked children.

Pennie suffers in silence. Pennie runs this household with an iron paw, and when she is tired or in pain, hides under a desk to nap until she is ready to rule once again.

The following is he online dictionary definition of the Stoics:

Stoic : a member of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium about 300 b.c. holding that the wise man should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submissive to natural law.

Of course, I do not believe in Stoicism. No I am a firm believer in Patheticism. Just this afternoon I put to good use my Patheticism. Mom was actually curled up in the recliner taking a nap. She is still recovering from her illness, but after getting three kids off to school, running some errands, doing 4 loads of laundry, making her bed, feeding the dogs, etc, she was forced to succumb to a nap. I curled up in Mom's lap. I made my little Sputnik Sophie Super-Sophathetic Sounds. Sputnik was Sophathetic. For all the turmoil it caused, launching off the Space Race, it really did nothing but orbit the earth emitting little beeps. I lay on Mom's lap and emitted little Sophathetic Sounds. Not sounds of pain. Just little sounds of Patheticism.

Pennie, the Stoic, was napping on the couch. Yes, Pennie was quite comfortable. But not only did I end up in Mom's lap, but my Sophathetic little sounds caused Mom to pull me tightly close and tuck my wee Sophie head up under her chin. Then she stroked my jowls while I further emitted Sophathetic sounds until I fell asleep.

Call me Sophathetic all day long, I think it is clear that in the long run Patheticism reigns.