Togetherness

This weekend we spent a lot of time being together with others.

We spent time with friends, family. People we see all the time and take for granted and people we haven't seen in a longer time.

There was talking, and playing games, and shopping, and just being together.

There is something nice about being with people. And it's even nicer when it's people you like.

The last few weeks have felt heavy for me. Things going on have me feeling pulled down. Then with the news of bombings at the end of the week, it just felt like too much.

On Friday, one of my children asked me if I thought World War III would start and what would that mean to us.

I haven't often had to talk to my children about war.

It's not that we shelter them, we do talk about current events. But there always seems to be space between what is happening and us. 

Clearly, my child was not connecting things and realizing that it could happen here.

Until now, my kids have been buffered from it. My 9 year old is still.

It's so hard. Obviously I want my kids to have nothing bad happen to them. And yet, they have already had to walk roads that most of their friends have not.

So I just told her that there were bad things in the world. And I didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But to take today for what it's worth. She accepted it. We were on the way to pick up her friend. She seemed relieved and ready to talk about the next topic. 

How lucky she is that she can just jump to the next topic.

But still it weighs heavily on me. Somewhere, tonight, there are kids going to bed mourning their parents. There are parents going to bed mourning their children. 

It is heartbreaking to say the least.

So when we get a weekend full of friends and family and togetherness? It is a wonderful thing. And one I won't be taking for granted anytime soon.