Teasing A Pop Pop with OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not fun for me; however, my own kids find humor in a few of my strange quirks, organizing things that are not important, saying things that seem outrageously funny, knowing exactly what DVD’s or CD’s are missing from my collection with only a quick glance.

There are, however, some things that were not funny—checking every window and outside door in the house before leaving on a trip, and then after traveling 45 minutes, returning to check everything again.

I find it interesting to see how those tendencies manifest themselves in my own children and grandchildren. Tommy organizes his toys according to certain criteria. He separates his Star Wars figures into groups of Jedi and Sith. Each dinosaur and prehistoric mammal has a certain place on the wall ledge in his room.

Jack says funny things that catch people off guard at times, like when a woman asked the primary children to identify the man in the picture, showing Lehi and his family sailing to the Promised Land. “It’s the Jesus pirates,” Jack said after she called on him when he alone put his hand in the air.

I just hope that my kids and grandkids find a partner like I did, one that not only tolerates my quirks but also helps me overcome them.