Richard and Kim arrived yesterday afternoon at the airport, making our Christmas dinner and our joy complete.
This is the first time we’ve had all the children together since they’ve all grown up and been out on their own.  I wondered how it would all come together; I am here to say, while I have a moment while they’re out running an errand together, that I am extremely proud of them and of how much they’re enjoying each other’s company.
I think of the ten-year-old granddaughter of our older friends Conway and Elaine that I met at their youngest son’s wedding reception; that cute little girl, who seemed a bit shy then (and understandably so) among all the adult strangers, is now my beautiful, talented, and exceptionally kind daughter-in-law.
Today the boys tackled a task that has been physically beyond me for several years, and got it done. Michelle and Sam, who both love to cook, have been running the kitchen. Everything feels like it’s coming together.
I remember a conversation with Cathy, a nurse then working for my family practitioner, back when I had four kids age six and under: she told me that when she got done with cooking the dinner and everybody was finished eating, she simply sat back–her kids were in charge of the cleanup and the dishes.
I remember looking at her in awe and going, Wow, how would that be? I looked forward to the day when I had a kid old enough to do the dishes!
I am here to tell every young mom, that day came. But it didn’t stop there. It only got better.