Not Cherry Beer

I was going to write about Cherry Beer this morning, but as the kids left for school, another inspiration hit, so you are going to have to wait for Cherry Beer.

In the absence of stuff, we as a family are learning to be grateful for what we do have and for experiences we might not otherwise have.

What I am grateful for, is the opportunity for Allen and Kyra to reconnect with one another.   Every school morning, they leave the house together, walk to the bus stop and wait together.  In the absence of everything familiar to them, they have each other (not that either would admit this).

As I watched and listened to them depart this morning, I realized if we were in Virginia, there is no way that Allen would walk to school with his sister.  Not just walk with her, but talk with her as well.  As they left he was explaining to her, how PE worked at Lake Braddock (the school they'd be at if we were in Virginia).  And in this rare instance Belgium got the positive review instead of the typical, everything was better back home.

While the level of their togetherness will most likely decrease as they both pursue their own interests and make their own friends, there will be experiences they have that will be unique to us as a family.  As we travel they will be in photos together.  They will have stories common to only them - "remember the time when we saw the pianos in the street..."

I'll probably still whine that I would like my stuff (it is terribly inconvenient to not have one's pillow, enough blankets for the beds and only one pair of long pants in weather that ranges from 40-60 degrees) I'm learning to appreciate what emerges in the absence of the familiar.

As for the cherry beer, keep watching this blog, it will make its appearance.