Instead of going to a wild party that involved home-brewed beer and a deep-fried turkey, I opted to go to my brother’s house this last weekend. I also wanted to see my goddaughter (who also lives in Chesterton) because it had been a few weeks.
As I prepared to leave I realized that I had homemade pumpkin ravioli from a local Italian deli. I know that it would be a treat for Molly to not have to worry about dinner, especially since I was “company” at the last minute. And pumpkin raviioli seemed right up Troy and Molly’s alley. So I figured out the perfect sauce, packed up the ingredients on hand and stopped at the local Chesterton Jewel to pick up the remaining necessities for the perfect meal.
The perfect meal it was. Pumpkin ravioli in a brown butter sage sauce with toasted walnuts, garlic bread and ceaser salad with fresh parmesan cheese and ripe vine tomatoes. Oh yes, don’t forget the wine! It was so nice to relax and talk about our concerns and laugh so hard at memories. Elijah came in and hijacked the conversation to explain the many characters of Pokeman. Troy informed Elijah that he was at the adult dinner and if he wanted to stay he needed to participate in the adult conversation. This led into an interesting conversation about why Elijah thinks he gets in trouble, how it makes him feel and the reveal of the secret of never getting in trouble again - obedience. It was interesting to hear about life from a child’s perspective. We finished the meal with Molly’s homemade apple pie and the fancy dessert ice wine I had given them as a moving present.
Perhaps the sweetest thing that happened was when Elijah came and whispered in Molly’s ear, “Um, I thought you told Aunt Carrie when I won awards and stuff.” He so proudly went and retrieved a “Daily Writing Award” he had just won the day before. He glowed when we told him how proud of him we were. It is amazing to see him grow from this little baby into this seven-year-old boy who thoughtfully considers everything you say to him.
It is no secret that I was devasted when by brother and sister-in-law moved to Chesterton. While I am still trying to recover from the loss of my family as a part of my church family, I have noticed a change in my nieces and nephews. They would walk in to Christ the Savior and barely acknowledge that I was there. Sometimes I would get a side wave or maybe a hug from Priscilla if her mood was right. Since they moved they are genuinely happy to see me, which is super great for my ego. Even Elijah, who has shied away from kisses since he was two, comes to kiss me hello and goodbye without being prompted. During lunch on Sunday, Elijah asked Molly when I was leaving. Here I thought he wanted to get rid of me, but he was asking because he wanted me to stay longer. Couldn’t I stay one more night? Benji asked me to stay for a week, which is amusing because what three year old understands the meaning of a week? Priscilla wondered if I was going to come back after I did my laundry and if not then, then surely I would come back after work . . .
It’s true, sometimes you don’t know what you have until it is gone. I am no longer an aunt they see on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but someone they want to tell about their awards or what book they checked out from the library. I moved back from Chicago for moments like these and it was so worth it.