Oppertunity

I am about to have a week of the home being lopsided or a week of opportunity. Growing up it seems there was plenty of opportunity to be lopsided. But as I think there were those occasions of opportunity. For several years many of my family would go to the Catskill Game Farm an animal park in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York there were lots of barn yard and semi-tame critters on hand. It was as close to a vacation event that our family had. The big reason we went every year is that my mother loves critters of all kinds. For me it was an opportunity to do something different, to get outside the normal home activity. That annual trip ended about the time I was 10 or 12 years old. I think mainly due to the fact that the family had gotten to large making the logistics of a day long trip too hard.

This week my wife is going away for seven days. She will be spending a week with her mom and a couple of her sisters. They are going to travel to places and see things that many people never have an opportunity to see or do. She has some reservations because it is out of her normal routine and I suspect comfort zone. She will be spending an extended period of time with family she does not normally spend time with. That always provided an opportunity to stretch and adjust. There will be lots of time spent traveling by air and rental car. There will be hotel rooms, beaches, buses etc. All of those opportunities are not the normal for my wife. There will also be opportunities for my. I get to play Mr. Mom for the entire week. I will be taking kids to the doctors, dentist and various appointments. I will be making my own way to my own doctor visit. I will be cooking, cleaning, and managing the house. All task my wife as done well for many many years. I am more than a little nervous. Occupying adults is one thing, occupying kids very different. On several occasions I have encouraged my wife to “go” even pointing out that the tickets are now purchased she “will” go. But I must admit life will be lopsided. My very capable help mate will be gone for a week. She has had me leave many many time for periods much longer than a week and has managed the “home” without me. I hope I am as capable.

The kids and I will be doing “stuff” it will not be the Catskill Game Farm but there will be events and activities that I am hoping will be remembered. My wife will be enjoying an opportunity never afforded my. She will be getting away with family that wants to be away together. I hope she makes the most of it, a number of families never have that opportunity. Me I will have opportunities to cook real meals, spend extended periods with the kids, do laundry, manage the house, water the garden, pick the vegetables, and many other things my wife normally handles. It will be an opportunity, it will also be lopsided the other half will be gone.

Growing up it was very lopsided. The other half was gone, at work, all the time. My family will survive the week just fine, maybe even enjoy it. Growing up many of my siblings did not recover from the lopsided childhood.