Life With Boys

Life with boys … Here it is our 25th anniversary, and I am feeling a bit nostalgic and wondering how it could be possible that I have been married for half of my life … I find myself thinking about how we managed to get here … about how fortunate we have been to have the love and support of family and friends … jobs that have kept a roof over our heads … and so many misadventures during this crazy life with boys that have made us laugh and cry, worry and marvel …

And here we are yet again in the midst of transitions … Within the next week, two boys will be back to school and off to a first year of apartment living and we have piles to show for it … so many piles … Each kiddo has their own approach to the packing and prep process (imagine that) … one is somewhat methodical and intentional about his choices …. While the other has thrown some stuff into a box and is calling it a day …

Me: “You know you have four people and only three plates. You can take four plates.” Boy: “Someone will probably have another plate.” Me: “Have you all thought about who is bringing what into this unfurnished apartment?” Boy: “YES (with a tone of extreme patience). We are each bringing an office chair, a white plastic table, and a folding chair in case we have guests.” Me: “Where are you going to put your clothes?” Boy: “I have a plastic tub, and I think there might be a closet.” Me: “You know this is not a week at summer camp, right?” … insert dead air here …

And it is all so bittersweet, especially when I think about where our family may be a year from now … with any luck, one boy will have graduated and will be making a mark on the world (fingers crossed) … and the other may be discovering internships or more goodies at the Goodwill bins (heaven help me if there is more taxidermy at the bins, please do not help him find more taxidermy at the bins) …

I know the house, and I will settle again … that going back to being a family of two cats will be a relief for poor Zeus (Appa is a bit relentless in his pursuit of the skinny cat) … I know I will be able to once again walk in the basement without getting a face full of vintage clothes or step in a splat of some colorful paint substance … I know the food that was in the pantry last night will still be there in the morning … and I know that I will miss it all terribly …

I know the grown-up boy, and I will continue to find our footing again with each other and with our time … there will be time and space to explore more hobbies, the world around us, and Netflix … to discover even more unbelievable situations that even an author could not dream up … and we will try to be patient and kind and humble with one another … And we may stay married another 25 years if only we learn not to put the car into drive until after the GPS has actually calculated the route …