We had a rather busy day here in River City yesterday, though things started out very well with some wake up sex for Mistress, before she and surly teen #2 were off to a hair care engagement.
At lunch time, I collected a relative visiting here from Japan, in flight to spend time with family in the states following the disruption in her native country. She’s in this country only for a few weeks, before heading back. All of us took her to lunch, and then Mistress and I took her to the airport for the next phase of her visit to the states.
But before the airport drive, we sat about the house for a while, and showed our guest from Tokyo the “Molly and Mick wedding video”, shot on a Saturday afternoon nearly 18 years ago in River City, by my since deceased younger brother. Our visitor from Japan was in it, along with my father, who has also left us in the years that have passed.
It was a “surprise” wedding for our guests, very informal, coinciding with what they thought was going to be a birthday party for Molly. The location was in our yard, next to a little pond. The ceremony was performed by a local Judge.
Surly teen #1 was just a cute toddler in a navy dress, much to her embarrassment, since her boyfriend was sitting there watching the video too.
Watching our younger selves in that summer almost 18 year ago was a reminder of how far we’ve come: Mick with his full head of hair. Molly, preggers with surly teen 2, who is now a few inches taller than her Mom. Our family and friends were around us, witnesses to our love. And of course, the video remains a vivid memory of those who have been lost to us since then.
Of course, Molly is as beautiful now as she was then, though considerably thinner.
Watching that old video reminds me how lucky old Mick is that we’ve figured a way to keep it together through some years of challenge, and all this sometimes confounding child rearing.
The other day, Donna sent me a photo, which reminded me of what things will be like here in the Fall, with one surly teen off the college and the other, who, in theory has another year of high school ahead, but will off to study abroad for a year.
There will be no one left but us and the cats.
And there will be so much more freedom than what we have been used to over the last 19 years.
I have a good feeling we will put all that private time to good use.
