I hope everyone had a celebratory Freedom Day! We sure did!
But, this morning Mary said it seemed a little less exciting than usual. After a short discussion we found the reason was simple: not enough kids!
We have 14 grand kids, 10 of them here in Brentwood. Saturday we spent with Sean, our oldest son, and his family at their lake house. This is usually a terrific place to boat, fish, and relax. But it didn’t seem so fun this year; only 2 of the 10 local kids were there. Two are off to college. Harry is at West Point, he started last Monday and is now in the second week of basic training. They call it the beast! Patrick is at Vandy and deeply entrenched in the Nashville Drum Corps. He was out of town with them. Luke is in Germany for a month of study courtesy of a German Language Scholarship he earned. Zach was working his Summer job selling school uniforms to kids or more correctly to their parents. Olivia was performing in a play with her summer camp, and Nicole and Ben were in Wisconsin visiting their Grandparents. Carter, our step-grandson, was with his dad in Minnesota, leaving only Eric and Matthew to entertain us. They were vintage, as usual, but with so many gone I think they felt a little lonely and perhaps out of place. But the food was good, the lake perfect, and the company there was superb.
Mary and I enjoyed being alone with each other on Sunday; I grilled Swordfish and we ate on our new, almost complete, patio.
Then yesterday Brian, our second son, had a group in for dinner followed by Brentwood Fireworks. Once again only three of the grandkids were able to make it. Watching fire works without kids just seems to lack something!
Now, I’m not feeling sorry for myself; I had a great time at both the lake and the fireworks, but people who have kids know that they make every experience in life better! Sure, they may be extra work, but that’s one of the reasons things are better when they are present. And in case you have kids and doubt me, I susspect you have infants or toddlers. The best kids to have are teenagers! They are so filled with entusiasm for life and everything in it, so talkative, so competitive, so anxious to be noticed, and so willing to please.
I know some have had a different experience with their teens, but in the big picture most teens are fun to have around. I am reminded of what Gilda Semler, a late friend of mine in Hartford, Wisconsin said many years ago, “About the time you get the kids the way you like them, they leave!”
That’s the way it is, and I think that is what parents are for, and why God gave kids parents! Enjoy yours while they’re still around!!