On Friday afternoon I met Brigette and Michael at their home, just minutes before their son Max was due to arrive home from school. They were waiting for him with cinnamon rolls and milk, espresso for themselves. They debriefed one another on their day -- in German -- while they ate. Next there was piano practice, reading, scouring the internet for lego pieces Max is desirous of, and kicking the ball around. This, they explained, is a typical Friday afternoon, an entry-way into the weekend that lies ahead. They explained how such rhythms of connection and pause over food are deeply ingrained in them from their home-country culture, leaving me feeling inspired to build this more seriously value into my own family life as well.
A short story is short, and yet it can still encompass quite a lot of the flavor of family. :)
