Sunday Funday!

My first wave of company is here in Chicago.  They arrived on Thursday and have had plans with both local friends and friends that flew in since they arrived.  With a rest up day yesterday from their events before my full day today.  I'm excited to get started with a brunch and then possibly the Shedd Aquarium and maybe another nice meal later tonight.  Who knows.  I want to show them my neighborhood and where I live and just sit and talk with them for hours.  I've missed them so much and this is their first trip here since I moved here three years ago.  We try and see each other at least once a year but never here.  So I'm super excited to show them My Chicago.  And since I have a tiny studio with no real room for company of more than one, they are staying at a bed and breakfast near the south loop.  About an hour south from my neighborhood. And since they are late sleepers and even the call of Chicago Sunday Brunch, might not stir them until 10 am.  I will try to busy myself with other things until they call.  Unfortunately I'm an early riser and sleeping in for me is 7 am.  And I'm not going to wake them on vacation.  Although the temptation is very real. 

That's the hardest part with adult children.  You can't treat them like they are your children anymore.  You have to step back and see what you did.  I'm lucky.  Most of the time I'm not shaking my head in confusion wondering what my adult children are thinking.  When they were young adults in their teens and twenties I did.  But now that they are both approaching thirty or in their thirties, I find that I don't worry about them near as much as I used to.  And I trust their judgement so much, that slowly they are becoming the people I ask questions of.  I feel like the circle is becoming complete and they are assuming the role of caretaker with me. 

I know someday, if I'm unlucky and don't just die in my sleep, I'll be living with my daughter as I become too old to live alone.  She has promised me I'd always have a place to go. And I know she's sincere.  I don't ever want to be a burden to her or my son but you just don't know what life will deal you so you have to be prepared.  Unfortunately most of my being prepared was lost during the last melt down in the stocks, and at my age it is nearly impossible to get that back.  But worrying about retirement when you don't even know if you'll live that long will for sure cause you stress enough to cut your life short.  hum... I may be on to something here.  But you know how that works too, right?  The best laid plans...

I hate talking about death with my grown children.  I know it's something I have to do and I do.  I tell them where all the important papers are, and the combinations.  But they get that look in their eyes.  All glossy like the way I get when men talk about most sports.  I know they aren't listening.  Not really.  I mean they are.  But they hate talking about what happens when I die.  As an only child with both parents gone, they are my only family and the burden would probably fall to them even with siblings.  And hopefully they will have each other to lean on.  Time to to stop thinking about this and get some coffee and get ready to hurry up and wait. 

Cheers