Three of the children went back to school on Thursday. They did so begrudgingly. A long Christmas break afforded us the chance to build fires in the fireplace, play cards, eat meals at all times of the day, and watch more movies and shows than we normally would. We are not full-fledged fans of The Good Place and Brooklyn 99. We’ve seen movies about popes and another where nearly everything blows up. We cheered the Irish on in their bowl game and made plans for Easter break. We saw the new Star Wars, had a visit from our favorite priest, and even ventured to Baltimore to spend time with the cousins on Maureen’s side.
Today we are back to normal. The eldest went off to high school bright and early and Maureen drove to a meeting in Newark even earlier. I am back at work trying not to think of the books I started and never finished, not to mention all the decorations still adorning the house.
Vacations are a good time to rest and reconnect, but for us, they are also a great time for being together as one family unit. I know the days are numbered and that before too long, kids will have jobs and access to cars, college will soon follow, and we’ll trade one group of expenses for another.
For now, though, I will hold fast to the moments of sitting all together in front a show we enjoy, listening to the unbridled laughter of those around me. I will cherish the memory of Christmas morning, when we enjoyed the excitement of children – giddy that Santa has come – and yet still managed to sit quietly for a great breakfast on our new snowman plates. I will smile when I remember how child number three launches into the theme song for the cheesy movie he and I watched in our “guy time” – a classic Disney flick in which a young Kurt Russell is shocked by a computer and is suddenly imbued with all the knowledge the machine contained. I am not sure which was more amazing to the child: the horrible song that someone actually had to sing (and that he continues to sing at random times) or the sheer size of the computer in the movie.
I will take comfort in the raw energy of the youngest, who will not walk across a room if she can flip, cartwheel or otherwise fly across it. I will be sustained by the second oldest, who sends more texts of love, hearts, hugs, and kisses than most children her age. The phone, for her, is not a way to move away from the family, but an opportunity to become even more connected to it.
And I will settle back to work knowing that the oldest, our ace number one, will be heading into exams soon and will need all the patience her parents can muster. Always the serious one, she surprised us all the other day when someone was giving Alexa a hard time. The so-called smart device was asked a simple question and could not seem to come up with an answer. Someone commented that it wasn’t that smart after all when suddenly, the eldest child chided us all, told us to be nice to the smart devices, and reminded us that when the robots turn on us, she’ll be remembered as having been nice to them.
Happy new year, everyone. May your time away from work and school – and the memories you made together – give you strength to journey onward.
At least until the next long weekend.