Today’s delight: the kids next door. It’s finally gotten warm enough for me to sit on our porch in the afternoon. At various times during the day, 10-year-old Abby and 4-year-old Michael come running outside. They jump on to the swing set with wild abandon, Abby hanging upside down on the trapeze and Michael going down the slide backwards. Then they notice me. Oh, but it is show time. Michael shows me how he can now pump the swing by himself and Abby shows me how quickly she can climb the rope leading up to the top of the swing set. Michael says they are “outside for recess”. I imagine their frazzled dad announcing in the middle of online homework and arguments that it is “time for recess!”, and the kids are released.
Now it is my turn for show-and-tell. I let Patch, our cat, come outside for a little bit. Just long enough to bring out smiles and exclamations of delight. Then I let Dodger, the dog, out. The kids call out to him – Dodger gives them a look and a toss of his head, and trots the other way.
Abby tells me she got 18 out of 18 on her social studies test, Michael tells me about the video game he is “not supposed to be playing”, but apparently does.
Soon recess is over. I retreat to my kitchen, where I am baking cookies, Abby returns to math, and Michael resumes his play indoors.
What a delight to see young spirits soar, even in the midst of isolation. Michael says, “I wish I could come into your house, but I can’t because of the virus.” I tell him I wish he could too. Which will make it that much more of a delight when this darn quarantine is finally over.