Last week was one of those weeks when I have a clear sense of the meaning of “sandwich generation.” That is not a bad thing, just a busy one. On Tuesday, I drove 150 miles south, to my mother’s house. She had a medical procedure the next day that I was to take her to. And it had been several weeks since I’d seen her, so it was good to spend a few days together.
On Thursday, instead of coming home, I drove 180 miles west from there to my son’s college campus. He was performing in a concert that night, playing violin in the university’s symphony orchestra. The program featured all movie music, with selections from Star Wars, James Bond, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and more. It wasn’t one of the orchestra’s more serious concerts — that one is coming up next month — but what a crowd-pleaser! I stayed over Thursday night at the hotel on campus, which happens to be a block from his dorm and from the concert venue. We were able to spend some time together, and I took him to lunch on Friday before I left town.
He actually left town later that same day, to come home for Spring Break. He could have ridden with me, but his friend, also named Jonathan, was driving home that evening and wanted a travel buddy. Jonathan’s parents feel better about him driving that distance with someone else in the car with him, so I drove home alone that afternoon. And that night, Bob and I drove to Jonathan’s house to meet them there and take our own Jonathan home.
Now I am pleased to have my son home for a week for Spring Break. I keep reading that college students on break want to rush off to the beach, or at least to hang out with friends instead of their parents. But my son enjoys a week of peace and quiet — and yes, spending time with mom and dad — in the middle of a hectic semester. And I love having him here.
The Petrini Page 