Skip to main content

The Challenge of Five


Living alone is easy. Add one more person to the equation and it becomes a bit more challenging – especially when that person is a 13 year old. But in time, we figured it out. Somewhere in there, Beatrice joined us. With Thanksgiving came the joy of the five of us together for the week.

And then reality set in as Tony and Sana began their trek back to New Hampshire. Our household of two was now a household of three as Sean made himself a home with us.  For the first five years of Sean’s life it was just he and I. How difficult could it be to have my 22-year-old son living with me again? A mother couldn’t ask for a better son. He is loving, kind, intelligent, and hard-working. He has grown into a fine young man who has lived on his own for the past three years. He has his own way of doing things.  I have my way of doing things. Needless to say, the two clash a bit. I tend to go with the flow and do things (supper, adventures, etc) as the mood strikes. He likes to plan everything under the sun including a specific arrangement of where things are located in the kitchen – oftentimes out of my reach. While I am reaching for things just out of grasp, Sean and Patti are working to determine how their relationship works under the same roof.

Just as we start to find a rhythm as a unit of three, Christmas  brought Tony and Sana back to us for two weeks. Laughter and screaming filled the air. Window shades opened at the first hint of sunlight (to take advantage of solar energy). Dishes overflowed in  the sink. Food gone in the blink of an eye. Sean asking each morning, “What’s the plan for today?” My quiet refuge turned into a three-ring circus.

Yesterday, we spent the day together going out to lupper (lunch and supper) and then to a movie. We sang in the car all the way to Raleigh. Tony and I showed affection to each other as the kids freaked out. A family reunited.  I went to bed with a good feeling inside.

When I awoke this morning, the challenge of five began anew. Five more days of the five of us together. Difficult? Yes. Worth it? For sure. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 28, 2010 at 7:54 PM

    oh how quite it will be when they are gone. but you will survive remembere spring break is coming and then summer. love all of you. Marguerite

    ReplyDelete
  2. James ADecember 29, 2010 at 11:33 AM

    Man! Does that ever sound exciting. Sounds a lot like home some years ago. Smiling for you all! Still very PROUD of you all. Dad/Grampa

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Easter Lesson

I decided that this break I was going to stay home and spend the week doing things I have not done or haven't done in awhile. It all began Thursday night with Ballroom Dancing, which will continue on Monday and Thursday with lessons. Saturday, I bought a couple of new outfits. Today brought both something I hadn't done in awhile and something new. Today, I went to church which was pretty cool in itself. I went with someone I just met the day before. (I am sure that is no surprise to any of you who know me.) We made plans to meet up at church. It was different from any church I had been in before. The chairs were set up "in the round." There was no piano or organ to accompany our singing. People were in and out throughout the 90 minute service. No surprise, the place was packed. The service was your typical protestant service, minus the organ, of course. It had been awhile since my friend had been to church. Many in the congregation flocked to him at the end to gi...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Christmas Ache

Christmas. For many it is a joyful day filled with family and good food, for others it is a struggle to get through the day.  Yesterday was my final Christmas waking up in an empty house. I don't want to do it again. The 50 plus years of waking up super early to either sneak to the tree and open my stocking or hear my kids do the same has made the silence of Christmas morning unbearable. The last four years, I have been waking up to an empty house. I had invites this year from every member of my family. I declined them for a variety of reasons, which do not matter in this piece of writing. What matters is today I talked to people who also struggled through Christmas day.  When alone, one can get caught up in one's feelings and think they are the only one going through whatever it is. In this case, being alone on Christmas. The ache inside begins. The tears flow. It doesn't help that the Hallmark channel is playing the formulaic Christmas movies. You know the one. It ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WABDR: Section 1

Section 1  We end at the beginning  Does it feel like this trip will never end? Epic adventures tend to last a bit longer than just an average one. So….on with our tale.  We got our bikes all packed up and continued over White Pass. The first time we went over it, it was a cloudy day. Thus, the visibility of the mountains was not much. I was expecting the same on our return trip to Packwood. Therefore, it took my breath away when I saw the mountain off in the distance for the first time. The beauty was so overwhelming, I teared up.    I continued to watch the mountain until I could see it no more. Soon we were in Packwood. Back where we started. After a quick breakfast at the local coffee shop, we were on our way. I may have taken a few minutes to ride the big bike first… Not too long though, because someone was ready to get moving.  Jennifer had some friends that were camping at Walupt Lake, which is right on the trail for Sectio...
Post a Comment
Read more