Christmas and Thereafter |

mi familia

The days are going by so fast and blending into each other. We have been in Italy just enough time to start adjusting to the time only to have to start packing for our trip home. A lot of bonding goes on when you are in a country where little english is spoken and there are none of the normal distractions. No phone calls, unreliable wifi most of the time, no nada, just each other, talking about everything from the future, their goals and dreams to what retirement looks like for us.

family

You bring these children into the world, but as parents we lay the foundation and express our wants and desires for them, but ultimately it is up to them to make it happen and stay on task. There is not enough “micro managing”,” helicopter mommy-ing” in the world that can make these young adults do something that they don’t really want to do. I’m sure there are many who may not agree with this, but in my 54 years here on the planet, 23 of these years being a parent and countless years observing my friends, family and numerous acquaintances raise kids, you have to just hope for the best and set the foundation, because there are no guarantees or sure set paths or formulas.

family

On this trip of no distractions we talked about everything like, “Yes you are on a nice trip doing “nice” things, but what are your going to do in your life so you too can travel?’ or “What colleges are you interested in based on your GPA?” or “How long to you plan to live in NYC on your salary?”

As I sat across from my children, I could not help but to reflect on how my family has grown up so quckly. We were blessed that everything worked out and we were able to be together. This trip made me realize how much I miss my children and the dynamics of being together as a family. I’m happy that they are both so independant but sad that they are both so far away.

This has been an unforgettable trip full of special memories. Tomorrow is our last day together, and we will all go our seperate ways hopefully to be reunited in the summer.