The Strength of Thousands

Put the kettle on Bella Nonna have I got a story to tell you!

Bernadette, it is 3:00 am!

I know Bella Nonna, I am sorry to wake you so early but I can’t sleep. I am too… blah… how can I describe it? I’m upset, guilty, excited, shook-up, and pissed-off… AACK my adrenaline is pumping so fast. I ran all the way here.

Okay Bernadette calm down I will make us some… I can’t think straight…decaf, definitely something decaffeinated. It is 3:00 in the morning… you do know most people are asleep at 3:00 am.
You ran here?...In all this snow? It’s snowing, you do know it is snowing?

Yes, yes I know but wait until you hear what just happened to me. You sit down and I will make the tea. Do you mind if I get something to eat? All this excitement has given me such an appetite.

No dear, help yourself.


Bella Nonna, you know how you hear stories of people being able to lift cars off of their love ones, scale a five story building to rescue someone from a burning building and swimming through raging currents to rescue a drowning person. I was always a little skeptical about the real facts. I believed people possess the ability to do extraordinary things when faced with a crisis, but to have the strength of thousands... I didn't think so.

Well this morning at 2:15 am I became a true believer in that fact. My guys were all sound asleep in their beds and it had been snowing for over two hours. I had just finished folding the last load of laundry. As I sat there watching the snow fall, enjoying all the peace and quiet, I thought of poor Patrick having to shovel all the snow off the walk and his car before going into work. So I decided to shovel the walkway down to the car before going to bed.

I took the laundry upstairs and checked on the children to make sure they were all safe and sound in their beds.... you know my kids, they have a habit of escaping from their beds and ending up under someone else.

You don’t have to tell me Bernadette… I remember frantically searching for Bridget for over fifteen minutes last year when I babysat for you. I no sooner got her back to sleep and the twins disappeared out of their beds and I found them asleep under your bed.

I am sorry for giggling Bella Nonna… I know how frightened you were. We should have warned you.

Okay back to my story. I donned my hat and gloves and headed out to shovel the walkway. I left the front door slightly ajar so I could hear if one of the kids got up... wait, my father just sat bolt upright in bed. He is screaming at my mother, “Saints preserve us Elizabeth that child of ours is heating the whole outside!” I had the kerosene heater on low in the living room to keep the house warm... besides our bedroom windows let out more heat than that.

Bernadette!... a lit kerosene heater in the house… unattended! Sorry I think I just channeled your mother. Go ahead with your story.

Where was I? Oh yeah, I was shoveling away and every fifteen minutes or so I would pop my head inside to check on things. I had been at it for an hour and was just about to quit when I saw Timmy standing in front of the living room window. As I was scurrying up the walk to the front door, Timmy slammed it shut. My heart leapt into my throat when I heard him push the dead bolt closed. At three and a half years old, Timmy has the ability to close the dead bolt but lacks the ability to OPEN the dead bolt.

"Timmy," I pleaded, "Push the latch up."

"What Mommy?"

"Turn the leaver up!" I screamed.

I could hear Timmy's playful giggles from behind the door. I peeked in the front window and could just about see Timmy by the door. I also spied the kerosene heater still on inside our fake fireplace. I started to panic inside.

"TIMMY, GO GET DADDY FOR ME!" I screamed.

"Daddy 'leeping," Timmy happily informed me.

"I know honey... WAKE HIM UP!" I called, still trying to keep my eye on Timmy from outside the front window.

I saw Timmy head up the steps to get Patrick. I waited for what seemed like an eternity... no Patrick or Timmy. I started to panic... I HAD to get Patrick up. I threw a snowball at our bedroom window... nothing. I threw some pebbles... nothing. I threw a rock at the aluminum siding that was around the window near his side of the bed... STILL NOTHING! I ran back to the front door, pounding and screaming for Patrick. I looked in the front window, no Timmy...I ran around the side of the house to look in the dining room window, no one. I ran around the back of the house and pounded on the kitchen door, nothing. I ran back around to the front of the house... more pounding and screaming. Frantic, I started heaving huge clumps of dirt at my nice clean bedroom windows. With every thwack of the massive clumps of dirt that hit the windows, one of the snowflake decorations I taped to the window fell ... still nothing. Somewhere between the fifth or sixth clump, I looked up and saw Timmy standing at the front window laughing with delight at my antics. As I approached the front window, Timmy took one of the throw pillows off the couch, spun around and flung it at the window. Totally delighted with himself he proceeded to get another... despite my frantic pleading, "GET YOUR DADDY NOW! DO YOU HEAR ME? 

This was it... do or die time! Something had to be done. If he missed the window and the pillow hit the heater... I'm getting palpitations just thinking about it.

I had to get Timmy away from the front door so I bribed him. I told him to go get Maggie and Bridget. I said they would like to have fun too and that I would make hot chocolate for all of them when I got back inside. I told him to run as fast as his little legs could carry him and get them for me now.

I watched as Timmy scurried up the steps and with one mighty blow I busted the door open! It swung back against the wall so hard that the doorknob punched a hole in it. Wood, bricks and plaster covered the floor. I had ripped the doorjamb completely out of the wall. As I stood there surveying the damage, the girls came running down the steps.

"Mommy... what happened?" Maggie asked wide-eyed looking at the mess on the floor.

"What the H... is going on down there?" Patrick bellowed from our bedroom.

"It's just me. I got locked out and had to break in the door," I nonchalantly replied.

"Oh, okay... tell the kids to keep it down. I have to go to work tomorrow."

I told Patrick that he should call off work today because we have a little problem with the front door.

"Problem," Patrick mumbled as he headed down the stairs.

He stood at the foot of the steps, blinking in disbelief. "What happened?"

I explained how I was shoveling the walkway and got locked out. Timmy woke up and I tried to wake him up to let me in. The kerosene heater was on and I was afraid Tim might get hurt.

I could see Patrick’s nostrils start to flare. I thought he was about to blow his top so I went into hyper mode.

I stared straight at him and in my best you don’t want to mess with me voice I said, “I tried my best to wake you... just look at our bedroom windows and you'll see how hard. I know you heard me!"

Patrick didn't say another word. I'm not sure if he was in shock, still half asleep or scared to death of me... I did just Kung Foo in a solid wooden door!

"Look, the dead bolt worked, it is still locked," I nervously giggled. “Wouldn't this make a great commercial?"

Patrick just kept staring at all the rubble. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry… so I made hot chocolate for everyone and cleaned up most the debris while Patrick went to the garage and got a huge piece of plastic to cover the gaping hole left by the missing doorjamb.

Thankfully we are able to close the door. I tucked everyone in bed again and tried to go to sleep but I just can’t... you would think having the strength of thousands would take a lot out of a girl...but I feel like I could climb a mountain.

Oh my goodness Bernadette, it sounds like you had quite a night. I am so relieved that everyone is alright. Is the house warm enough? Do you need any help with the house or the children?

Everything is fine for right now. The hole is sealed up and everyone was asleep when I left. I feel a little guilty that I woke you up.

Don’t give it another thought. I will just chalk it up to my learning another life lesson. The next time someone tells me they do not believe a person could possess the strength of a thousand people; I will tell them your story.

And if they don’t believe you, just send them down to me… I will have the repair bills to prove it!