I was knee deep in Christmas decorations when the phone rang on the day after Thanksgiving. I recognized the ringtone as the one that belonged to D and I flung myself across the room, tangling myself in lights and garland on the way. I answered the phone expecting to hear D’s voice.
It was the Munchkin.
She told me that she had watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the day before and had seen my oldest son’s favorite Toy Story character as a BIG BALLOON and she wanted to tell him. Melt my heart. Except that he wasn’t home. My parents had kept the boys as both FireDad and I worked (fire department and newspaper respectively) on Friday. I felt bad but she took it well.
Anyone who knows my oldest son knows that he wishes he could be Buzz Lightyear. He runs around our house exclaiming things like, “TO INFINITY AND BEYOND,” while lasering his little brother. It’s just part of who he is right now.
And the Munchkin knows that.
We have had visits this year. Three, to be exact. And one was without the kids. But she remembers. She thinks of him, of us. She knows what he likes, what moves him right now. And she thought enough to give him a call. I don’t even call my brother when I see something that he likes. Mainly because he annoys the bejeebus out of me and buys my children obnoxiously loud toys but, you know, I do still love him.
I’m just so moved that she would think to call him over something like this. She’s an amazing little girl. Amazing.
She’s amazing in part because of what you’ve given her through genetics and through openness. I’m so glad she’s able to reach out to her brothers now.
I haven’t really written about this, but Thanksgiving at our house involved several major conversations between my partner and her siblings (her bio-dad’s children from later relationships) and it’s so saddening to me that they’ve gone all their lives without really knowing each other and are having to make up for it now. I know the situations are different, but it’s so inspiring to see children like the Munchkin starting young on the process of loving, accepting, and processing complicated family relationships.
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