I’ve struggled all week to find a theme for this post, putting pressure on myself to impart some great nuggets of wisdom—some lasting takeaways—for you, my reader. I haven’t written to you in over a month, and during that time, I’ve had countless bright ideas pop into my head. Unfortunately, if I don’t jot them down, they vanish. Midlife brain works that way.
Eventually, I need to stop thinking and just start writing. When I do, I say a little prayer that the words will somehow gel into something of value; that I’ll find a morsel of beauty, truth or goodness to pass along.
So, here we go! Since it’s been a while, I’ll summarize the events and pastimes that filled my days over the last month. We’ll start there, and see where we end up.
Little Tykes
Tom and I, a.k.a. “Papa and Lala,” had a “grand” duty for twelve days in early July. Our son and daughter-in-law took off for a Mediterranean cruise to mark their tenth anniversary and left us in charge of their kids. Since we’re not used to having our 5-year-old grandson and 2-year-old granddaughter 24/12, we wisely put almost all other obligations to the side so we could focus on them.
With built-in entertainment at our Up North cabin, we easily filled our days. Both kids learned the joy of jumping into a lake. Other adventures included kayak rides, a fishing expedition, mini-golf (with a very exciting hole-in-one for the elder grand), breakfast at the Logging Camp, visits with Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, playground time, a bike ride (with kids in tow), and many hours of running/throwing/catching and reading/crafting/playing. Plus, a few episodes of Bluey every day to help maintain our sanity.
The first morning after they left, the cabin was so quiet. And while we missed our daily snuggles, I can’t say we missed the extra work and chaos. We were ready for a break! We had a couple of days sans kids before heading back home to Michigan, so we went fishing, we explored the Watermark Art Festival in Bemidji, and had a date night at Tutto Bene—one of our favorite restaurants. We finally had a chance to catch our breath and reflect on the previous two weeks.
My lasting takeaways: Grandparenting is a lesson in flip sides. You will feel physically tired and old, but also energized and young at heart. And time with the grands might steal your “me” time, but the timeless memories it provides are worth the sacrifice.
Endless To-dos
I had planned a two-week stay at home in Michigan, and besides a haircut and a bridal shower for my daughter, there was little else on my calendar. I jokingly asked my very busy daughters what they usually do when their calendar is completely empty, knowing full well they likely won’t have that pleasure until they are retired (or semi-retired) like me. Of course, they were jealous.
While I looked forward to a completely free week, if I’m being honest, seeing all that white space on my calendar made me a little nervous. I knew that there were plenty of tasks—big and small—that required my attention. I also knew my tendency to procrastinate when I have too much free time, and how I scramble to get things done as the time runs out. (This knowledge has had me harping on my daughter and future son-in-law for months regarding their wedding plans. Only seven weeks to go!!)
To calm my anxiety, I opened my Notes app and started jotting down every big and little to-do I could think of. I then grouped together the errands, desk work, household chores, and indoor/outdoor tasks (after looking at the weather forecast). Each day, I checked items off the list and added new tasks as they came up. By the end of the week, I had accomplished 30/35 tasks (not bad!), including many small ones and a few big ones—like organizing our linen closet, finding a new suit for the father of the bride, and painting our porch and garage trim (an 8-hour, 2-person job!).
My lasting takeaways: The most productive weeks are those with the fewest interruptions. And checklists are golden.
Lovable Trolls
That brings me to this past week. On Monday, I headed back to Minnesota where I joined my youngest daughter. We’ve both spent time solo—remote work for her/writing for me, reading, and relaxing—and together—watching movies, kayaking, and making meals. But the highlight of our together time was a day trip to Detroit Lakes, a little over an hour's drive from our cabin, for some shopping, eating out, and troll hunting. Yes, I said TROLL hunting!
Both of us recently heard about these giant, outdoor troll sculptures by Thomas Dambo, so when I suggested we go see them, Chloe was immediately on board. These whimsical characters are created from recycled materials and are located in various parks around the town.
We started our hunt in the late afternoon and by sunset, we had found five trolls—Alexa’s Elixir, Ronny Funny Face, Long Leif, Barefoot Frida, and Jacob Everear. (We also slipped in a supper stop at the original Zorbaz…IYKYK.) Finding the troll sculptures brought both tangible and intangible rewards.
The tangible benefits were the fun photos we took and the exercise we gained while walking the trails to find them (I clocked over six miles on my fitness tracker). But the intangible rewards are what I’ll remember: anticipating the discovery of each hidden work of art, laughing as we imitated Ronny Funny Face, being in nature and appreciating God’s handiwork, and spending quality time with my daughter.
My lasting takeaway: Getting outside with others while seeking fresh adventures will strengthen bonds, renew your mind, and fill your soul.
Whether you’re living with the chaos of little ones or enjoying quiet couple time; if you’re busy with wedding plans or simply discarding hotel soaps from your linen closet; when you’re hanging around home or out on an adventure…look for the lessons.
Take a moment to reflect. Find your nugget of wisdom or lasting takeaway. And give thanks for the beauty, truth, and goodness you find along the way.
What has worn you out or kept you young at heart this summer?
Are there any grand (or small) accomplishments you’ve checked off your to-do list?
Any adventures that have given you pause, lightened your heart, or brightened your days?
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New Yaya, so my grandkid duty is relatively easy right now. He is not yet 3 months old, and my daughter returned to work part time. I am having to remind myself that she is a different person than I and will do life differently as well. I'm so enjoying caring for him when she does work though! It's a joy.
I'm also balancing having my last kid at home. He's a sophomore, and I'm tired. :)
Grandkid duty here also. I am leaning to trust my daughter. She and I see work and child rearing differently.
I never regret being a stay at home mom, but this week, I realized my mindset reverts to lack of finances and so does my speech. My daughter stopped me once when I said fruit was expensive.
I will focus on abundance during my next visit.