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I climbed into bed, exhausted from the past few days, and savoring the feel of my own bed. My husband called from the other room, “I think I have a thorn in my finger. Where’s the tweezers?” He had been trimming the knockout rose bushes earlier in the day and he’d had gloves on the whole time.
The next thing I know he is at my bedside with tweezers and a magnifying glass. I hold the magnifying glass, while my husband attempts to extract the intruder. But the minuscule sliver of a thorn avoids the tweezers.
I take over tweezers duty. With my finger, I gently move it back and forth to locate the tip of the thorn. I can feel it, I can’t see it. I squeeze the skin to try to make it move forward. I check with my finger, gently moving over the wounded finger. Yes, it is out a little more. The tweezers move in to pluck. Success! Immediately he feels a difference in his finger.
It’s amazing how something so thin and small can cause so much pain.
I can’t believe we are already getting leaves on the rose bushes. The lodged thorn was not the size of these thorns, but it came from theses bushes.
elsie tries writing 
I’m glad you were there to help out! Ouch!
I agree with Tara. I love the way you knit words together. Always beautiful.
I love learning from you! You shine a light on the small and mundane and raise it to significant and even poignant. Added bonus was how you delicately described the lovely relationship between you and your husband. Kudos!
You were a hero today. Incase you don’t have tweezers or they fail, you can use an ointment called bag balm for a couple of days and the skin softens allowing the thorn/splinter to easily come out. It takes time but sometimes fearful of tweezer people like this option.
Oh, such a good description of taking the thorn out. Been there! And yes, it is so exciting to find new leaves sprouting on the rose bushes. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for the first rosy, buds of leaves. Can’t wait!
I love how you started with you comfy in bed, so we could understand how this little moment shows your love for him!
I could just feel that thorn in my own finger, and thought of times Ray has had to use the tweezers getting cacti needles from mine. Glad that you were successful and that he did not jerk away right when you were about to pull the little guy out. Oh….and Ray found my camera in the pocket of my robe. I guess I should mention that. 🙂
Elsie, you have roses! That need cutting back. We just got rid of snow today. I think I’d take the thorn if it meant I could be working out in my yard with my flowers
Oh! My roses just look like sticks. I love your photos! So sorry about the thorn. They really hurt! Glad you found it!
I had my fingers crossed, hoping you’d be able to get that thorn! When my husband gardens, poison ivy leaps on him from yards away. Gardening is not for the faint of heart!
Isn’t it amazing how something so small can cause such pain and frustration? I have rose bushes as well. The big thorns are the ones I watch out for and never get stuck in my fingers. It’s the little ones that lodge themselves under my skin and cause me to baby that spot until it works its way free. I think there is something to that.
You were an awful sweet nurse to your hubby!
Try elmers glue next time. Rumor has that it peels the thorn right out. Ouch!!
Fave line: “savoring the feel of my own bed” Yes!! Nothing vetter!
One small part of a day, details taking the reader right there with you, a perfect example of a slice of life.
Ouch! Yes, it is amazing how something so small can hurt so much! And it’s so good to have someone there to help! ❤
This is such a “real” description of a small moment that I was right there with you. But there’s a deeper lesson here too, which makes the writing SO good, because it makes me think more deeply: “It’s amazing how something so thin and small can cause so much pain.”
The challenge of tweezer duty – I love it! I enjoyed your description of the process…so familiar!
Love this slice, but sorry for hubby’s discomfort. It takes a team as we advance in age and need the magnifying glass plus someone else’s touch and eyes. I was afraid it might end up in your finger!
I love your tiniest of slices, Elsie, & am glad you managed to help even when exhausted, & fast! Like Tara wrote, you’ve made a small thing entertain us!
Ouch is right! Rose bush thorns and cacti thorns are the worst! Glad you were able to get it out, not good if the thorn would have festered in there!
Hubby had one of those thorns in his finger and it took over a week for it to poke its tiny head enough to grasp with a tweezers. I really think that those rose bushes don’t want to be trimmed or touched.
Ouch! You made me cringe! Tweezers, thorns, pain…Glad everything is better!
A slice about a thorn! From the micro (your slice ) to the macro (my slice about the Iditarod) and everything in between. There’s room for everyone and everything. This is a slice we can all “feel!”
I agree with Tara. It’s amazing how easy you make it look. Simple, gentle, but so powerful in it’s familiarity. A joy to read.
This slice brought me right back to summer and trimming my own rose bushes. I always wear gloves, but sometimes it doesn’t matter — a tiny thorn sneaks through. Unfortunately, it usually takes a week or so for it to find its way out because I am unsuccessful with the tweezers.
Oh, Elsie…you can make even the removal of a thorn fun to read! I’m gathering rose bushes for the farm, and I guess I shall have to now purchase a magnifying glass and tweezers, too.