Growing “Up”

So the little, well she’s not so little anymore, sister move along her life path today. Wendy’s on her way to start the Correction Officer Academy. I think I heard my parents’ house sigh last night. Once it housed eight rambunctious children, now it’s down to four [shudder] teenagers. If the last four are teenagers…that means I’m old.

So the sister is off…and from the Corrections Academy she’ll probably be assigned somewhere downstate. The Big brother is out of town. The older of the younger brothers stayed in town, but we are on opposite sides of town.

It’s weird…

So Easter this year will be at our house. The school  district decided that “Spring” break can’t be tied to Easter, so the family can’t maintain the tradition of visiting the Grandparents. But that too was part of growing up. You get a job…all those trips to the Grandparents have to be reduced…and then you have to decide if you can take a vacation to a new place, go camping, hang out at home or get sick…and if you do any of those, can you still visit the Grandparents. It just seems that in out work focused country, the importance of family often takes the bump.

Another part of growing up is that the magic of the holidays vanishes…that’s so tragic. Heck even my big bad [though she does have the soft spot for babies] sister Wendy proposed adopting a kid for Christmas one year. All the gifts are signed Santa…and the teenagers maintain that cookies must still be left for “Santa” [although they end up eating the cookies themselves], but it’s just not the same…at all.

Easter is the same…especially not being at the Grandparents’. At the Grandparents’ we can kidnap small cousins who can weave that magic back into the holidays. But this year…all we have are the cats. And I don’t think they will tolerate bunny ears.

So Growing Up is overrated. Why didn’t I listen to the adults who said not to rush it—as if I could’ve stopped time. Summer vacation is a fantasy; days off for Easter are non-existent. Being a grown-up is no fun…can I be 8 again? I think that would be perfect.