The last day of my children’s visit is always hard. I try not to think about it, but the whole day is like one big countdown until they leave me for another week. I keep checking the time to gauge where we are and what we can do. But this time, I took it all in stride. It could have something to do with seeing them again tomorrow, but I think it’s more than that. They have no idea how much they helped me this weekend. I think slowing down to have fewer activities and more family time helped ease the last day’s anxiety.
Time has flown by so fast, though. Not the weekend, but their whole life. It feels like just yesterday Ali and I were rushing to the hospital to deliver them, and now they’re both about to teenagers. But for now, they’re still children and enjoy all the “kid stuff.”
But something tells me that some of the “kid things” will stick around for a while. As long as the teasing ends with laughter, I guess I won’t complain. But after a while, I grew tired of it and got us out of the house before it got too late. On our way, I got a brilliant idea and called Ali. The kids could stay with me one more night, I’ll bring them to the party, and they could go back with him. He loved the idea, and I got my babies for a few extra hours!
I put down fresh flowers, brushed off the leaves, and lit a candle on my parents’ graves. Last time we were here, Luca and Alessia were toddlers, so I kind of reintroduced my parents to them. Luca didn’t say anything, but I think he appreciated seeing where his relatives rested. I’ll have to ask him what does he remember from his Gammy. Alessia on the other hand recalled nothing and was rather bored by the visit. I know it may be unreasonable to expect an energetic person to endure idleness, but her boredom offended me.
Why isn’t she interested in her history? Doesn’t everyone want to know where they come from and who their people are? I really hope my thin patience with her is just a result of this not-so-great weekend and not how our dynamic will be in the future.
