Personal Essays

Alex on the Xunantunich Mayan temple, Belize




When we were in Fort Lauderdale, my youngest daughter turned to me and said, "this seals the deal. I am moving south someday. Sigh. That's a side effect of the trip I didn't want.

When we were in Key West, riding on the scooters, my son turned to me and said "this seals the deal, I'm getting a motorcycle someday." Another heavy sigh. Another side effect of the trip I didn't want.

But what can you do? I can't tell them no. I can tell Alex about my cousin who crashed into a tree on a motorcycle - and I have. And besides, I now want to get a scooter for my trips around town to save some gas money!

Furthermore, I don't blame Kelly one bit for wanting to be warmer. The winters do get long here in New England. The thought of moving south has crossed my mind more than once. Besides, we can make lemonade out of this lemon if it happens. It will give Andy and I a place to go to escape the deep freeze.

The two "this seals the deal" comments were my moments of realizing the kids were no longer mine. I got to have them for awhile to do my best to prepare them for the rest of their lives. And I did get one amusing glimpse of them still needing me one morning near the end of the cruise, at breakfast, when Alex and Kelly started relating a story of an argument they had the night before in their stateroom. I looked at them and said, "I'm on vacation, I don't need to hear this." Kelly looked at me and implored, "but we want to know who was right." I just smiled. They are still my children.
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