The Gift of Kriss Kross

You might be thinking the rap group. 

I’m talking lines, or am I? 

When I was young, it was a thing for my mother to check my homework. 

“Let me see.” 

Oh brother, how did she know? 

Far too often I was caught, not doing my best work, and mom would criss-cross all over it. In a permanent pen (remember erasable pens?), she would point out everything that needed to be corrected. There was no going back, no easy fixes, no erasing and no white out. I had to do it all over.

Often it left me upset, sometimes even to tears. I hated doing homework and now mom was making me do it all over again. How dare she  take me away from more important things like watching tv and playing video games?

She would often say, “You can do better than this, look how sloppy this is, look at all these mistakes, you rushed this.” 

I had no choice but to do it over again, I did, and she approved. 

At her approval I would smile. I saw my potential, and it felt good. 

The gift of criss-cross - I get to go from one side to the other. 

I get to switch. 

Or maybe jump, jump. 

And give, give. 

To myself.