Looking Forward...

photo by Alicia Bock

I'm honestly not really sure where this post is going to go.  I just feel like writing.  Last week was...well, tense is the best word I can come up with.  The entire city was on edge.  It was also school vacation week, which was probably a good thing.  The boys provided me with a happy distraction from the news.  

I have to struggle a bit to think about what filled our week after Monday, but I seem to recall a couple playdates with friends, lots of bike/scooter riding, the start of smoothie season, a backpack full of books from the library, and tons and tons of playing catch.  It was good, and only on rare occasions did I hear the dreaded "but Mom, what can I do?" from the boys.  I read the paper and caught up on the news at night, and kept it in small doses.  

Friday was a particularly stressful day here, as I'm sure you know, and I canceled plans to run some errands that morning.  We were nervous about letting the boys play outside, even though we live a few towns away from where the action was.  As I said....tense.  So it felt good to get on the road after lunch and leave the city for a couple days.  We went to visit our best friends in New York, and we enjoyed a fun and relaxing time; especially after watching the capture Friday night.  We talked and laughed and played, and we even managed a double date night, leaving all our kids with a sitter Saturday night.  We were struggling to remember the last time we all went out, but we think it was about five years ago!  So we celebrated the start of a new and easier phase.  

Boston street photo by Meg Fee

And so now is the start of a new week.  The area feels different, but an optimism and determination has settled in.  As we drove home yesterday, highway signs read, "We are One Boston.  We thank all of you."  These signs of solidarity are everywhere, and they are hopeful and inspiring.   And so we all now look forward...

I am looking forward to taking the boys to a Red Sox game this weekend.  

I am looking forward to seeing the tulips in our front yard bloom.  (They are so close!  Tomorrow, perhaps?)

I am looking forward to playing my new stack of records, inherited from our friends this weekend.  

I am looking forward to putting the house back together after a week of messy chaos with the boys.

I am looking forward to spending some time in a yoga studio this week.

I am looking forward to practicing my piano.  (Although I'm starting to feel conflicted about having to choose between the guitar and piano at times.  I want to learn both!)

I am looking forward to planning more get-togethers with friends.  It's the best stuff of life.

I am looking forward to preparing the garden beds for planting.  

I am looking forward to watching Aaron start baseball this week.  

I am looking forward to eating some ice cream and watching a little TV before hitting my bed with a good book, so with that I will say good-bye for now...