The Aftermath

A few days ago, I was surrounded by noisy, loving family. Now they've all gone home. I know I'm incredibly lucky to have kids who want to spend their vacation with me, and to get to see them and my granddaughters as often as I do. I'll confess that I do, occasionally, get irritated with the bustle, but for the most part I love a houseful of people. All the laughing and sharing, especially the way we had our "staying arrangements" worked out at the beach, with two cottages and everyone going back and forth, is easy to get used to and hard to let go.

The leaving was somewhat incremental; my middle son and his girlfriend left on Sunday morning because he had a gig that night. My friend who had joined us left a few hours before we did on Monday. My oldest and youngest sons, my granddaughters, and I left at the same time. We dropped my youngest son off on our way back. Today he -- the youngest one -- met us halfway to take the oldest and his daughters to the airport in Orlando to fly back to DC. I drove home where the only ones waiting were my little dog and cat. Now I'm sitting in quiet solitude, considering picking up the toys and drawings that my four-year-old granddaughter left behind but not caring too much about leaving them out for another day. Last night she -- the little one -- brought a drawing out to me from the guest room. It had our whole family smiling and grouped close together and across the top she had written "iLHVUOWO". I said, "Does that say I love you?" She nodded and smiled broadly. I know she had thought so hard about how to spell that, and it was so sweet it almost made me cry.

Life will get back to normal now. I don't have any more airline credit to use up by a specific time, and I may not get as much scoring work throughout the summer. (Teaching two seven-week classes is plenty of work and plenty of money, but doesn't give me enough time or money for expensive travel.) I won't have squabbling little girls around me, but I also won't have a preteen asking for my advice or an almost-kindergartener making precious pictures for me. But it won't be long before I see everyone again. I might just leave a beach toy or special shell in the living room to remind me of our great time.