One moment events are happening so fast you can’t breathe; another moment may seem to take hours. It’s a DVD movie, with an unknown hand controlling the remote – 1/16-speed, 8x speed, back and forth.

Yesterday was one of those days.

The middle Son of Thunder was recuperating from a successful surgery the day prior to repair damage from an unknown foe.  The attempted strangulation was halted, the disease drained.

And while the major attack of the enemy was foiled, there is always more than one danger point. And this enemy never sleeps.

Battles such as these, regardless of the success, leave scars.  This enemy was no different.

While the Son and his allies won the main battle front, the enemy left destruction in its retreat. Both lungs were scarred.  Fortunately, previous antibiotics brought in by the allies – who anticipated such a move – prevented greater loss.

Another CAT Scan was taken yesterday. Its purpose was two-fold: to ensure the previous operation  left no hidden enemy forces; and to recon a potentially far more serious attack closer to the core, or heart.

The results were mixed.  For some reason, the enemy apparently abandoned an all-out attack at the center of the Son, the greatest fear.  Why?

The antibiotics? The prior surgery? Prayers from across the country?

We’ll go with Answer D, all of the above.

And instead of moving to the feared new front, recon photos showed the enemy apparently reforming at the very spot of the first battle. Was it a ruse?

No one was willing to take chances. The Son and his guardians were told to prepare. Another full-scale assault might be ordered before the enemy could fully regroup.

During this time the Son’s allies met. Recon photos were reviewed over and over; antibiotics continued to flow; warriors familiar with similar tactics by the enemy from days of yore were brought in. Their words, and battle experience, carried great weight.

Time flows; 1/16th, 8x.

The Son slept through the night; unaware of the ongoing battle plans being considered. His own troops split; half stayed by his side, the other half to reinforce the other two Sons of Thunder. To encourage them as they continued their roles: watching, praying.

A dreary rainy day greeted this dawn, never a good sign. But hope can penetrate much.  Many of the leading generals believed the enemy’s latest move  back to the original battle was a ruse.

More importantly, the enemy had yet to reinforce its expected second attack at the core.  The decision was made – maintain vigilance at the walls, continue to repel the enemy’s probes.

And wait.

And so we do; anticipating no major battles today, but ready should they come.

Pretty proud he was too, until he studied my face a little more.

“Caleb (that would be No. 1 son) did it!”

“It” was hand-drawn. With a permanent marker. On a five-year-old. Goatee and a moustache complete with swirls – lots and lots of swirls. So I march No. 3 with me and we go find No. 1 and I start the parental inquisition.

“What were you thinking?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s a permanent marker!”

“I didn’t know.”

And all this time I’m trying to keep a straight face because it’s probably the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’m dying.

And I’m just about to break out in laughter when the Little Black Dress sees it and the first thing she asks is if it’s permanent and I say “yes” and she gives me that “What are YOU going to do about it look” and suddenly things aren’t quite as funny anymore and I realize I’d better do something really, really quick because No. 3 son suddenly asks “does this mean I’m not me anymore?” and he’s starting to get a little paranoid and the Little Black Dress is definitely not smiling.

Wow, that was a long sentence.

So off to the sink we go and we scrub and scrub and thank God it comes off – there must be some time-release formula in it.

And after looking in the mirror No. 3 exclaims “I’m me again.”

And the Little Black Dress smiles.

So the earth is back on its axis.

For now.