Transition

 Sometimes change is so gradual that you don’t notice anything until it’s been and done, and every one else has moved on. And sometimes change is a flipped switch that turns everything you knew as ‘normal’ sideways.

Lately, we’ve had both flavors.

Elder suddenly is a sports fan. Did it blow up out of no where? I feel like it did, until I remember the Phillies’ improbable vertical climb out of the wild card slot into the World Series. No, he was in that, following all the teams, running a spreadsheet, weighing the odds with the best of them.

Football is a little more of a surprise.

He immersed himself in conversation at work and in study of the game. And just like that, he’s an expert, running his spreadsheet, prognosticating with the best of the Monday Morning Quarterbacks.

After a little spell of revisiting interests of his younger days, he’s suddenly back in his 20s, looking for his people to share his interests.

He’s looking ahead.

I haven’t seen him do this in a while.

Lots of hard parts here. I try to sit on my hands and keep quiet. Trying not to orchestrate. Trying not to ‘make stuff happen’ so that he can figure that out himself.

So hard not to jump in and ‘do.’

And trying not to expect anything, assume anything.

Another Fork in the Road

 I don’t want to write about the adulting stuff. My adulting stuff. Boring AF.

I’m trying to figure out my own way while trying to keep my guys on track and on task. 

But my older guy surprises and delights. In the last 6 months, he’s surging past the regressions of lockdown in a variety of ways. Okay, we haven’t gotten to FTE yet, but I realize he’s not there yet. However, his gigs have all contributed to his overall growth: at his theater job, he learned football and has a topic of conversation that’s relatable to, well, anyone really, but particularly those who bleed green.

At his bingo gig, he’s learning how to navigate other people’s crazy, bringing his compassion and other gifts to bear on some tricky social situations.

And he received an overwhelmingly positive review from his non profit job. His only Needs Improvement is an area that most people stumble on. He has a ton of opportunity to make good and better for his next review.

Younger guy is just awesome. He brought elder a surprise today just because he wanted to. He’s thoughtful with regard to his brother. 

The vice is not always versa, but nobody’s perfect,