Tonight all my boys are tucked into their beds and I am sitting here thinking about what a day they had.
I told you before of my anguish when I think how they miss their friends. But today when I came home from seeing my patients, they were over the moon.
It wasn’t because they were so happy to see their mama. (Though of course they were happy to see their mama).
It was because they spent the day exploring with...Dad!!
They said it was the ”best day ever”!
When they are with Dad they have these epic days- skiing, hiking, fishing, climbing, riding, bike riding. swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing, camping, planting trees and riding in really cool trailers, you name it.
I usually tell them they have to do their times tables. Adventuring is heavily weighted in Dad’s direction.
Scott has always been more of an activity guy and it’s just a part of his way. I am the one who makes sure dinner is on the table and that the boys have clean hands and cleanish clothes.
So I did what any mother would to be a part of the adventure portfolio. I snuck them some marshmallows. S’mores ice the cake of any outdoor adventure.
We both have our parenting roles.
I keep the home fires burning. He stokes the flames for home.
In the last year and a half, we saw how fragile life Is. When they were babies (all except our fourth) we had this thought that we should try to shield them from the hardships of life. But that was silly, and was never going to happen.
It’s the hardships that make life difficult but meaningful. Life can be hard and beautiful at the same time.
Right now, both of us want to do what we can for our kids to feel alive and feel a strong sense of home.
It’s coming together too. They are seeing beauty in their own experiences. (Our oldest found this wood goose made by the lake water’s constancy).
They know their trees, their gardens, their creatures great and small. They are boys becoming stewards of the land. And the older ones are getting a sense that life is tender and precious.
The younger ones just want to squish tender precious things and see what’s inside. (Yikes!)
In the early years I might have been unsettled knowing that I was the book report mom while Scott was the explorer dad. But the fact is, I want my kids to explore (and do book reports). Cripes, I’m so grateful they have the chance to do it with their one and only dad and that they (and he) want to.
Funny thing was, they did their times tables too. Man, that's a good dad. Swoon...
Tonight, my tip for Skin Cancer Awareness Month- In Vermont most people still can’t get haircuts; so If you find yourself cutting a loved one‘s hair, check their scalp for moles or strange spots. I, like me, you're not the "usual" stylist, remind them to have their regular stylist/barber check when things open up again. Scott says he can't understand how I can distinguish differences types of skin scale, but I can't see that his hair is uneven when I cut it. We all have our strengths.
xo,
Dr. Swae