In my efforts to restore his quirk, I became obsessed with finding him a zen garden for his desk. "You can't just have a desk and weird, gray utility 'walls' around you," I said. "That's preposterous!"
He explained he didn't want to be that guy who creates a tropical office paradise, complete with fountain, aquarium, and ridiculous plants. That, I can understand; but, I couldn't stand the thought of his desk being all sterile and ... office-y. To his face I admitted defeat, but inside I felt called to bring balance back to the universe by restoring his quirk.
After a search for an already-made zen garden proved fruitless, I decided to make one!
Like any decent lady, I walked into the nearest JoAnn's and assembled my supplies. I bought a small balsa wood box, a 3' dowel of 3/8" thickness, some fancy sand, and to home I went, whistling and bubbling with excitement over my secret project for my brother.
While he and my parents were upstairs watching Cosmos, I was downstairs staining the little box a pretty color whilst watching Family Guy, like any decent lady would be. (Luckily, my dad has a crafty streak, and had everything I needed to stain. Thanks, Dad!)
Originally I thought I could make a little rake out of the dowel, but once reality set in, I instead sawed it into 7 small pieces and decided that there could be a stick for different emotions. Here's what I chose, in case you can't read them: stoked, contrary, befuddled..., content, pensive, bored, and f*cking pissed. (Guess which one he went for immediately...) My momma didn't like that last one, but I said it's a zen box for Joseph, and he would like it, therefore it belonged. Her zen sticks would say things like: the oven overheated!, and where's the platter?!, and coffee!, and yay!, and love, etc. For some reason, in print my mom deserves exclamation points.
Anyway, I took a felt pouch and refashioned it into a sort of envelope for the zen sticks. I stapled the shape instead of sewing it, because you know, Joseph's a man. Men use staples.
And then when the brother came over for dinner the next day I gave it to him! He liked it. Notice the pretty tree and felt envelope on the inside of the lid. It's a secret zen box. So yes, the quirk is concealed, but it will be there for him when he needs it.
See? Look at this: f*cking pissed already...
Lovelovelove
