Dinner. Our family sits in the slim space between the front door and our bed. Forks pecking at rice on china, kids laughing with mouthfuls, dog wedged under chair hopefully waiting for morsels to hit linoleum. I notice we are fully a family of four humans when it comes to food. Kid portions, booster seats are long gone.
Me: I am so excited to move into our home on Friday but I am going to miss this place. I feel so thankful for this experience.
Andy raises his eyebrow, smiles. Ruby screeches and tosses an asparagus spear across the table.
Margot: Let’s do thankfuls about our apartment! I’ll go first. I am thankful for my bunk bed! That my dad made for me. Pass to Ruby.
Ruby: Um! I am thankful for my bunk bed that daddy made for me!
Margot: I am thankful for the top bunk and that I get to jump off the top onto mama and daddy’s bed. And that my dad did such an awesome, awesome job making these bunk beds. I just really love my bunk bed, dad.
Ruby: Thanks, dada. Thanks for the bunk bed.
Margot: Yeah, thanks dad. We just like have the best bunk bed ever of anyone. Pass to Daddy.
Andy: I am thankful you two love the bunk bed so much. Pass to mama.
I went on and on. I am thankful for the deep closeness this intimacy gave our family. I am thankful that my family worked together even when it felt so claustrophobic and disastrous. I am thankful for the deep appreciation I have for things I previously took for granted, like: a kitchen counter, a door to my bedroom, an oven, natural light in my kitchen, taking a shower for enjoyment and relaxation, clothing storage. I am thankful for fresh perspective on stuff and space. I am thankful for everything. I am thankful to know we can indeed all get a good night’s sleep, our ENTIRE family jengaed into a queen bed: Andy, me, kids, 75 pound dog, 22 pound cat and regular sized cat.
They all sweetly listened to my monologue, adding tidbits and stories. Remember that time I fell off the top bunk? Remember when Ruby pooped out the magnet? Remember that millipede? Remember my raspberry leggings?
Also, Andy totally didn’t make the bunk bed. I found it at a thrift store.
