Never a Chore

September 17, 2016 It's been a full day. After a week of watching Jessie and Todd's kids while they attended work related conferences laced with a little down time together in Utah, we had the usual crew of grandchildren for our twice-monthly sleepover last night. This morning, Abi and Jo headed off to a swim meet, Todd's parents Denny and Dianne stopped by to pick up Ian, Eliza, and Gemma for the day, while Nathan and Mattie geared up for a ju-jitsu tournament in Buffalo. Linda and I drove to Buffalo for the tournament, truly a gift of love for her, since she gets sick to her stomach watching the kids fight. The referees are great, watching carefully to make sure no kid gets hurt, but it's still a bit disconcerting to see your eight and ten year old grandchildren in the ring, often with older and more experienced grapplers. From there, we headed south for three hours to meet Alex at college, again proof positive of Linda's love for her grandchildren, since long rides in the car are tortuous for her. Alex introduced us to her roommate and a few friends, gave us a tour of the campus, before we took her and two friends to dinner. Apparently, even with such a beautiful campus and a stellar academic program, college food is still college food. Being treated to real restaurant fare ensured that next time we visit, we'll be treated again like royalty. The only time I've ever received such a long and tight hug as Alex gave me tonight was the night before she left for college. Hugs like that feel so good because they are like a physical transfer of love. It is my blessing to love, and to be loved. Two hours together in the car on the way home may be tortuous for Linda, but they were heavenly for me. After a week of giving all our attention to others, spending time just the two of us filled me up. As we lay in bed at the end of this full day, I am aware that it was full not just with activity, but even more with love. Lying side by side, Linda asked me what I was thinking. My response was easy, quick, and simple: Time with those you love is never a chore and never enough.