That Feeling When a Sister Says, "I've Got You"
A week at home alone with my husband for the first time ever.
I’m on my way to Kalispell (a city in Montana five hours north of Bozeman) to pick up Chana Laya, who spent a week with my sister, Chana’le, and her family, who run the Chabad House there. Last week, I drove her there myself and did the ten-hour round-trip drive in one day. Today, Chaim Shaul is with me, and while he drives, I can write. The jury is still out on whether it’s easier to do the drive myself or with the husband :). That’s a side note.
I don’t think Chana’le will ever really know how much her offer and genuine invitation for Chana Laya to join her camp meant to us. Hopefully, she’ll read this and get the idea :).
It was meaningful on so many levels. All of our other kids were away at camp, so when Chana Laya was invited, Chaim Shaul and I suddenly had a week alone at home! That’s never ever happened before. We even took a short two-day trip that I’ll get to in a bit. But even more than that, having someone who completely accepts Chana Laya for who she is and feels totally confident in being able to “handle” her did something to my soul.
As a parent in general and especially a parent with children who demand every ounce of creativity, resilience, patience, and a healthy dose of grounded strength, life is a series of challenges and constant problem-solving. Let’s just say it can get pretty exhausting. When someone else, outside of you and your spouse, sees your child and appreciates who she is and feels capable of offering her an amazing opportunity, there is nothing like it. Little feelings of hope creep in. Like maybe it’s going to be okay :). As I’m writing this, I’m fully aware that I’m in for a big dose of mommy behavior when she’s finally back with us, but the knowledge of how well she did this week makes it worth it.
As I mentioned before, during this kid-free week, Chaim Shaul and I got a chance to go away for two days. We wanted a quick getaway, a direct flight with some kosher food options. Not many places fit the criteria, so we ended up in Minneapolis. A short two-hour flight (which still managed to be delayed on the way back), an amazing kosher restaurant, Sato Fusion, and we were good to go. The spontaneity and chill vibes of this mini trip were exactly what the doctor ordered. There was something so special about it.
One of my favorite things to do is find the beauty and unique aspects of any location. Minneapolis might not be the exotic beach destination, but we found cute little towns and beautiful spots. Getting in the car and just driving around was so much fun. We went to Stillwater, a little town on the St. Croix River, browsed the shops, sat by the river, and got coffee. Kinda perfect, I know :).
The next morning, I of course discovered my new favorite store downtown called MartinPatrick, completely unique to Minneapolis. Most of the products were way above my means, but man, was it gorgeous. We then went to Taylors Falls, which, contrary to its name, doesn’t have any falls. Despite the lack of falls and the name that scammed us, we did discover that it has a gorgeous walk around these magnificent glacial potholes, which are some kind of natural phenomenon that was so cool. Something I’ve never seen in all my travels. You don’t find this stuff if you don’t just go out and explore.
One of the highlights of this trip was the drive we took and the fun random conversations we got to have, uninterrupted. We took the night flight home, and even though we were away for such a short period of time, our cup was full, and it felt great! It’s a little scary how easy it is to get used to the quiet house, not gonna lie.
The kids start migrating back home this week. I’m a little nervous, especially since the transition to home life from camp life can be, let’s just say, interesting. Firstly, getting back on track with normal food and normal bedtime. Secondly, they are used to being busy and constantly stimulated, and that ain’t how it is at home. But with all that, of course I am so happy to have the kiddos back in my presence. Camp wasn’t completely smooth sailing for all of them, so having them back in my care brings along some relief. And of course, I’m too young for a quiet house for an extended amount of time; a few days were great, but not more.
We have a travel adventure planned for mid-August, so lots to look forward to BH! We are about halfway through the summer at this point. We got this!
Do I sound convincing??
Love,
Chavie
