When he first calls me to ask about getting together, I'm not sure if he wants to renew our friendship or take me out on a date. A couple of mutual friends dropped hints to me about him, and I'd enjoyed seeing him a couple weeks prior. That was our first meeting in more than six years, and those years have been kind to him. He no longer wears aviator glasses or has braces covering his teeth. His once lanky physique is now muscular. He was with another woman that night, but she and I shared a cab ride across town to our apartments, so I have to figure there's nothing going on between them. I accept his request to meet for dinner and afterward I realize it is in fact a date. Nothing happens between us that night to confirm my suspicion that his intentions are indeed romantic, but we women can sense these things. On Christmas Eve, I call to thank him for our lovely evening and tell him we can connect again when I return from vacation. During that vacation, my extended family rejoices … [Read more...]
What I Wish I Knew Before Overnight Camp Began…
My husband is an organized, productive person. He’s a list maker. I’ve watched him over the years, writing down all the various things he needs to get done. He makes little boxes next to each item, which he checks off once he completes the task. I’ve always been in awe, and I admit, a little intimidated by his lists. I find myself on the opposite end of the spectrum, preferring to go through my days getting things done as they arise, planning it out in my mind and going from there. But as life has become more hectic, I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for the list. In the notes app of my iPhone, I now keep an ever changing “To Do” list. I guess you could call me a list convert of sorts, which came in handy while preparing to send C off to camp. Getting him ready required a whole new genre of list making. There was the packing list provided by the camp that was extremely helpful. This list gave birth to a Target list of the various clothing items, toiletries, water … [Read more...]
All His Bags are Packed. But I’m Not Ready for Him to Go
"All my Bags are Packed and I'm ready to go..." The words from "Leaving on a Jet Plane" circle through my mind as I muddle through my daily tasks in these hours leading up to Mr. C's departure. That song is what I sang as a kid getting ready to leave overnight camp and head back home from the woods. Now I softly sing the tune to myself as a parent on the other side, getting ready to send my child from home to the trees, the lake and the open sky. Here come my tears. Again. After spending the initial part of the summer trying to keep my 10-year-old firstborn child happy, engaged and fulfilled, I'm now in disbelief that he really is leaving for overnight camp. So many questions race through my mind as I check the boxes off on his packing list: Will he be happy? Will he be homesick? Will he be both? How much will I miss him? A lot. I know that. How will it affect our family dynamic? Keep trying to imagine it, but just not sure. Will he write to … [Read more...]
