Sacha comes home.
The in between, that is what I call it, when you are standing in between two worlds that you love…saying good bye to one and hello to another. There are times when being in between feels best, because saying good bye is too hard and saying hello turns the page… Jet lag gives us that in between time to soften, smooth out, sort out and swim in between shores.
We wondered if Sacha would feel in between the two worlds…
Bittersweet, tender and saturated with images, dipped with oodles of memories. Yet happy to be home, noticing how everything looks the same but feels different.
A box full of supplies… chocolate chips, cracked walnuts from Aunt Louie, dried cranberries, gum, chai tea, tortillas… I love the box of supplies. It is like having a bit of that life feed us on this side.
He looks happy carrying that big box. That made me smile, I put my camera down and went to greet him, pinching his cheeks while letting him carry the big box to the kitchen table.
Oh the comforting joy of having your children back safe in the nest. Bliss. Makes the in the in between less foreign.
Sacha's best friend from childhood came over to greet Sacha. In France when you meet someone you greet those you do not know with a hand shake, and those you know with a kiss, one on each cheek and in some areas of France you double that. Though children greet everyone with a kiss until they are eighteen. Quick culture lesson– XOXO though without the Os. (Xs are kisses right?)
Before dinner they did that boy thing of comparing who is who…. it has been a annual end of summer check up since they were ten or so…. It started with:
1) Who has the better tan?
Fabrice grabbed the first point. He went surfing in Biarritz, sailing along the French Riviera, and went with his family to Corsica. Those places reek of golden sun worshiping. I envied his natural highlighted hair!!!
2) Who has the thickest beard (or has facial hair)?
4) Who is taller? Sacha has me to thank.
and last but certainly not least…. this year they shocked me. They threw me out of the loop… Sacha
noticed that Fabrice was buffed, that his muscles under that tee shirt
were way bigger, way more intense than his own…
5)……………. You get what I mean.
The end of summer. The in between softens, becomes smooth, sorts out and swims to shore.
Prayers answered, as we gathered around the table, my family is safe, sound, altogether with stories to share. Happiness is this.
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