An Unplanned Enjoyable Afternoon

It’s funny how much of life swings between trickles and floods. I speak, of course, of the girls. For a variety of reasons, I really hadn’t been hearing much from any of them for most of the year–birthdays, mostly. Then all of a sudden, this past week has found my cup of smiles running over as first Scarlet*, then Jamie, and then Tess all sent messages to me. Wow. From being adrift on a makeshift raft to being again welcomed by friendly natives…well, why wouldn’t I have a smile on my face?

This afternoon was a joy. I hadn’t seen Tess since her birthday almost six months ago. We spent a little more than two hours getting her new laptop up to (or at least closer to) snuff while watching some Olympic Equestrian coverage and mostly talking about horses. As Forrest Gump might say, “We was like peas and carrots, again.” Honestly, it felt like I’d just seen her a few days ago. It almost always feels like that with all the Scotts. When I woke up, I didn’t know that this event would be part of my day…which, I think, made the reunion all the better.

I will confess that my busy little mind couldn’t help but note that all of a sudden, once Tess got back into town, things started picking up (to my benefit, but I digress). Then I thought about how my mom ended up as the matriarch of the extended family. And a few other examples as well. There was one common factor: they are all middle children.

Needless to say, the irony wasn’t lost on me. At some time or another, everyone I thought of had kvetched about being the one in the middle and feeling, at least sometimes, lost in the shuffle. It’s sort of amazing then to note how often they seem to be the nexus of family. Perhaps it’s because their position required them to be diplomats in one way or another, that they were often bridges between people, but when they are around the family becomes a little more vital. It’s fascinating to see.  It’s by no means a scientific observation, but I think it could serve as useful fodder in a future story or novel.

So, a very good day. I selfishly hope for more in the not-too-distant future, but for now I’m holding on to the memory with both hands.