My One Fault?

So far, today has been a long day, what with one thing another. Some nice things have happened ... I've received letters and emails and messages from friends old and new, I've confirmed a dinner date with friend for this Friday evening, I've spent time with my parents and sisters. But ... yes, in spite of these nice things, it has been a long day!

In my family we have one unbreakable house-rule: in the front hall, all 'dirty' out-side shoes must be removed and some 'clean' in-door shoes must be put on. I love this rule, because it keeps the floors and carpets nice and clean. Sadly, it leads to a problem ... lots of shoes all over the front hall floor. A hall closet and shoe rack solve most of the problem, but ...

I must admit that I always forget to open the hall closet and put my shoes on the shoe rack. I don't know why I forget ... I just do. So my shoes almost always end up scattered across the front hall floor. From time-to-time, I find them and remember to put them away, open the closet and put them on the shoe rack. That pleases my mother and me - she's pleased because my shoes are away and I'm pleased because I remembered. Yay!

Today, as I was checking my email in the study, I heard my mother trip in the hall and say something about me. Guilty I thought of my shoes and remembered that I had probably forgotten to put them away. Again. I hurried into the kitchen, feeling that on top of everything else, the last thing I needed was for my memory to have let me down and for my mother to be upset about my shoes being scattered across the front hall. My father and sisters were in the kitchen and smiled at me, which I felt was a little unfeeling under the circumstances!

My father said, "You forgot to put your shoes away."

I said, "Yes. I just remembered them. I'm sorry!"

My father smiled and said, "Well, your mother says it's your one fault."

Feeling as if my long day had just got longer and sure I hadn't heard correctly, I said, "I beg your pardon?"

My father smiled again and said, "According to your mother, forgetting to put your shoes away is your one fault."

My sister added, "So it's a compliment really. You know ... you don't have any other faults, you just forget to put your shoes away!"

I'm still not sure I've heard correctly. I forget to put my shoes away and that's my one fault? Much as I respect my parents' judgment ... I wish that were so! Imagine only having one fault ... one comparatively little fault, like forgetting to put my shoes away! Maybe one day ... !