Family Life

Tonight, we made one of those special memories that lingers in your mind and heart for years to come. It was one of those times that is so precious that as you are experiencing it you wish you could savor it forever. Simple activities and undivided attention contributed to soul-quenching laugther and unbridled enjoyment of one another.

Before dinner, I spent some time teaching Caleb to write numbers and letters. He also helped me do a lesson or two on my Rosetta Stone program. After dinner, we taught him how to play the card game UNO (and we learned how to keep Susanna occupied by allowing her to be mommy's personal discarder). But, by far the most fun was our family's first ever attempt at playing charades together. It's amazing how animated kids can become when you give them a stage (and an attentive audience)! The laughter got out of control when Susanna began imitating our charades. At one point she came over and pretended to bite my leg, which led to another outburst of laughter. We didn't realize what she had in mind until we remembered that Caleb's performance as an alligator must have provided the inspiration!

Recently, while discussing with a mentor the challenges and opportunities of raising children overseas, it became clear why families can become so close. When you have no one else to turn to and no one else can really understand, you lean on each other. Rather than searching hungrily for fulfillment outside the home, both children and parents learn to find it inside the home. Parents can become more than just managers, but teachers and companions.

Had I not been forced to let go of the many things I pursued back home to find fulfillment, maybe my family would continue to feel more like a chore than a delight.