I wasn’t feeling particularly older until my son shouted to me today, while he was starting to pack for our two-day journey out to his new campus, “Mom, what did you take to college?”
Well, let’s see….a typewriter, definitely a bunch of records and a turntable, turtlenecks for the long winter, somebody’s old wooden skis, and a yellow Schwinn bicycle. Naaah, it wasn’t that long ago.
But here we are: my third child is about to be on his own, far enough away that I can’t just jump in a car and see him; and I’m turning a number that makes me gasp, momentarily. Thank you to all the friends who have provided soothing assurances, saying that they’ve found a whole new level of freedom. Of course, as at any other regular time, it’s all about whether we’re willing to go for what Thoreau called “the marrow of life.” There’s nothing dainty about that, either.
Whatever is happening for us individually this August, there continues to be plenty also happening for us collectively. Anxiety about North Korea is definitely an uninvited guest at any summer party. Then, events in Charlottesville last weekend gave us a jolt, and now we’re – as today’s New York Times headline said about residents of that city, trying to “regroup.”
As a religious leader, my husband is among those speaking out about the violence, the underlying causes, and the best ways forward. I offer the following link so you can learn both about Tuesday morning’s NHPR show, “The Exchange,” and see clips from the vigil that took place here in Concord a couple of evenings ago.
http://nhpr.org/post/new-hampshire-responds-turmoil-charlottesville#stream/0
Sometimes, a pastor’s wife can know when to turn things over to the pastor.
In the car heading out to Ohio, we will be just three, and some boxes and bags of stuff. But a bunch of memories and a whole lot of questions will be with us, too.