Keep the Force -In Your Back Pocket

I remember the day clearly. It was a cold, dreary Saturday afternoon. And I found myself sitting, ear-to ear with my son, fascinated by the third installment of the Star Wars prequel "Revenge of the Sith."  Oh sure - initially I might have been enamored with Anakin Skywalker's hair. But eventually, after renting (and eventually purchasing) the entire George Lucas series with the bonus features, our entire family was captivated by the magic of Star Wars.

Jumper cables, cell phones, swiss army knives - all handy tools to keep around in case of emergency, right? Well, in our house, we like to keep a lil' something we call "The Force." Allow me to demonstrate.

Need someone to get some chores done? Invoke Jedi mind tricks...With two fingers and a steadfast glare, command, "You will scrub the toilets. You will scrub the toilets."  (Sometimes dollar signs help results.)

Or, need to practice your fencing skills? Without  becoming fatally injured? Toy light sabers are fabulous aggression-reducers. And I'm sure it's a great workout. (I wonder how many calories I burn during a duel? My son sure seems fit.)

But here's where The Force really came in handy.  This week happened to be Red Ribbon week in school, which means the kids had to dress up in a theme each day. (Ugh. Just what we need - to subtract another 15 minutes of getting ready time in the morning.) Anyway, the Force  came through again! Career day: Jedi. Costume day (no masks allowed): Jedi. Nerd day: well...I couldn't go that far. But I thought it. Anyway, Cole's homegrown Jedi costumes have worked well for him this week.

Master Jedi Cole

But the most utilitarian use of the Force in our house comes when we happen to be in Star Wars mode and one of us has had a bad day. One or all of us will cozy up to the afflicted. Often the idea of popping in one of the Star Wars (or Harry Potters, to be honest) DVDS will float around. And we'll express our love by offering, "Oh, and by the way...May the Force Be With You."  It's our way. Our geeky, Star Wars way. But it works well.