my people and love

I have just spent the weekend with my people - Rachel and Curtis and Vincent and most of all The Girls. It wasn't really a weekend, it was 8 hours of driving on Friday - then eight hours of driving on Sunday and between that, 40 hours of love.

From the outside it would seem I spent the whole time spending money. I went shopping with Kyra, 12, and we ended up buying three new books she needed badly. Then I went shopping with Megan whose birthday was the reason for the trip and we bought a fabulous new outfit for her from Justice. And a milkshake. And an earing holder. And then we bought some movie tickets to see Alice In Wonderland in 3D. After that I went shopping with Rachel and again, an outfit, and a pair of shoes for Vincent, and maybe we accidentally bought a couple new shirts for me. Then of course we had to have dinner out, Rae and me. We do that as a ritual of womanhood and friendship - a dinner with no dieting and no budget references. These are our best times - long luxurious conversations that have no hesitation or self protection garnished with laughter, self disclosure and a good sprinkling of hopes.

So. Really it was a bit of a shopping extravaganza. But mostly it was love. It was being together with each person in an intentional listening kind of way, sharing life and providing a bit of luxury. Love does not come in a shopping bag but it can fit inside one, if the people holding the bag are also holding hands.


A weekend like this might seem to be a bit of an effort for small gains, but if you think that you have no idea what it was to me. I smiled all the long drive home, quietly soaking in the joy of being in a family, of having people, of loving ridiculously and easily. Kyra and Meg sit ON me as easily as beside me. Rachel and I enjoy a fully open womanly friendship, the boys welcome me with hugs and happily eat my roast and pie.

When you can only be a gramma now and then you have to pack a lot into the minutes. I'd say we did that pretty well this weekend.