It was worth every moment of the 6 hour trip up and the 9 hour trip back to see them. I know they won't be around forever. None of us will be here forever. On our way up, David and I stopped halfway to surprise my older brother and his kids with a visit. We are blessed that the kids love David and he is good with them. He plays with them so I can catch up with my older brother.
David and I stayed at a cute little hotel in Potsdam, New York. We met mom and dad at their favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and were able to talk. I wasn't ready to go to bed, so David and I followed them to the farm to chat some more. Mom, David, and I talked until I couldn't keep my eyes open any more. I then said I needed to go before we fell asleep. As I left, I was reminded about how different the sounds of home are from the sounds of Brooklyn. There isn't much to see, but you can hear the wonderful noise.
The next morning, David and I got up early and drove back out to the farm to cook breakfast and eat with mom. She, of course, had been up for hours and already baked muffins. It was so relaxing and rejuvenating to just sit on the bench in our country kitchen and chat while watching the birds at dad's bird feeder. I needed that recharge after some stressful months at work. Sometimes only a mom's love can do that.
In the early afternoon, I finally brought David to meet my grandmother. Although I came out to her in our Christmas card, she had yet to meet David. She was even more welcoming than I anticipated. It was a pleasant surprise. David was very quiet, as he normally is meeting someone for the first time. Still, I'm happy to have crossed that bridge and don't have to hide him or me from her anymore.
That night, we had dinner with Dad and Mom again and then breakfast the next morning with just mom. David and I loaded up a cooler of home grown beef, co-op butter, home-made applesauce, home grown berries, and everything else my mom foisted on us. It made for a lovely week of fun cooking when we got home.
As I drove back to Brooklyn, David and I listed to the cast recording of Come From Away. I realized that I have much in common with the Newfoundlander's (I am an islander) in the show. We both come from places that are a bit rough around the edges and not as modern as other parts of the world. We love, we give, we work together, and we survive there. I hope that Newfoundlanders feel the same way I do when they go home to Gander or the surrounding towns.
Thanks, Mom and Dad, for helping me recharge and bring a bit of home back with me to Brooklyn.
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