The haze from the forest fire(s) lifted last night and we went to get burgers. At the burger joint, there were gulls. Noisy and nosy gulls. After dinner, the girls fed them leftover fries and after the birds wouldn’t leave them alone, Marlo and Leta turned on them and chased them away in the setting sun. The moment was pure youth, pure summer.
I don’t know why my memories of summer as a kid look just like this image, but they do. I remember bike rides on Main (on the sidewalk), hitting the corner pharmacy after laying the bike down where I could see it, running inside, buying a cold Pepsi in a glass bottle and sitting on a bench watching traffic during the golden hour while I sipped and dreamed of being older, driving a rad car and scoring hot babes.
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Seeing my girls chase birds in the glow of August gave me hope that they’ll remember this trip fondly; that it will imprint them with an image of summer they’ll share for a long time. Maybe we’ll come back next summer and they’ll want to chase the birds again. Maybe they won’t give a damn. I’m not really concerned, just hopeful they’ll remember a great night out in great light, eating burgers and feeding annoying birds with extended family.
I’m still figuring out packing for me and the girls. I think I did pretty well, but getting out of town was a thing. Took two hours longer than I planned. Marlo did great in the car and Leta was a huge help. I’m not looking forward to heading home, but not because of the car ride; I want to stay for weeks and take the girls on day trips. Today I think we’ll give one a shot. We’ll see how the day goes.
Finally, it has to be said: my girls are amazing kids. I marvel in wonder at the end of every day, even when the day has been long and trying. The above image captures a newly emerging dynamic between them where they will goad each other and do something the one of them alone might not otherwise do. I realize this has double edge sword written all over. I’ll take it.
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Affirmation: Good will come to me if I let it.
