Family Dynamics

Because of so much family activity this week, I didn’t have time to find interesting science facts. Instead, I uncovered interesting “family” concepts.

Our Bed and Breakfast is almost closed. All that is left is a mountain of laundry to finish washing, folding and putting a way. A couple more days then life returns to as normal as we can get.

I have to say that we have survived the week visit of our teenage granddaughter – okay, truthfully, she survived us. She managed the week without TV, going to bed at an earlier hour, vegetarian meals, fixing her own breakfast and lunch, walks in the early morning instead of after dinner, having to eat dinner at the table, and the big one – going to see a movie without popcorn and a coke (it never occurred to me to get popcorn…) What did she gain? Some free guitar lessons from her uncle, time to read 3 books, volleyball skill practice, sleeping in, the realization she missed her sister and brother. She’ll tell you she missed her dog, but the relief on her face when her family drove in Friday night was palatable.

Lunch during the week was an amazing event: everyone, except me, pulled out their technology and read while eating. Two laptops, an ipad, and a kindle fire all lined up around the table. Then there was me – trying to find space for my magazine. Some habits die hard. Ah well, someone has to keep the “olde ways” alive.

Yesterday we had the family picnic. Lots of family, a few friends, good conversation. Throughout the day, I discovered moments that were crystal clear – the people, what they were doing, the conversations. I realized that “this moment” with these people will never happen again. If and when we meet next year, we will be different people with different experiences. The grandkids will have completed the school year that they are just now beginning to anticipate. Our son and his wife will have completed their first year of teaching in China, our daughter and her husband will have completed their degrees. My husband and I will, out of all of us, have changed the least. A few more gray hairs (white hair in my case), a couple more wrinkles, but probably not much else. We are the constant in our children’s lives. An interesting concept – being the “constant” in someone else’s life.

We finished the evening with song – our son played guitar, the rest of us sang along, or just listened. Another moment that will never happen again. Then the flurry of goodbyes, see ya, travel safe, keep in touch… no one really enjoys goodbyes – even with folks you’d never be friends with if you weren’t related to them.

 Families are interesting – we are a collection of people who would never meet, never talk to one another if we weren’t related. I think each of us harbors a wish that some parts of someone else’s life could be ours. Not all of it, just certain parts. And this, in many ways, colors our perception of how our life is going, what is new in our life, what is the same, what we want to be different and how powerless we feel when it comes to changing our individual lives.

Thanks for reading, Don. I think I’ll pass on the riddle this week – I haven’t even had time to read your contribution this week! A first for me!

Have a good week everyone!

Carolyn

 I haven't had time to change the pricing on Transport 23 - it is still $.99! I'll be changing it next Friday - just incase you're interested.