Town in Tennessee or Yellow Submarine?

On this day, three days after the opening of gifts and enjoying family, I am excitedly caring for three grand dogs on Woodcock Circle! The two families have gone to the wilderness to ski, hubby stayed on Cypress Court and my other family is in Indiana and Kentucky. The quiet here speaks to my spirit as I imagine the future Holy Days. Three grandchildren graduate from high school in the spring. That will surely change the family get together dynamics. Wonder how it will be? It changed five years ago when my oldest grandson became independent, entered a committed relationship, and moved far away. This Grammie never really had location roots but does have deep family tree roots. Finding pleasure in imagining where those roots will continue to spread is fascinating to me.

I dream of a place where we all can live. John Lennon and The Beatles would suggest a Yellow Submarine, but motion sickness would be a risk for all our family. Once I found a town for sale in Tennessee. I mentally planned how we could buy it and how each family member could use their talents and skills to build our small town to be everything we would want in a little town. I live in that dream some days. It has become a family joke. For me it is not a joke. I seriously think it is a dream that needs to come true.

Then again, maybe it is not a dream that needs to come true. Imagine with me personality traits that could surface. Competition among family members. Yikes! “My dog is better than your dog” stuff behind closed doors festering and then out in the open. Opinions conflicting among family members. Yikes! “Mustard in the potato salad, yes, or no?”  Grill, fry, boil, broil or bake? Preferences among family members. Yikes! “Some like it hot. Some like it not.”  Beach or mountains? The list of dramatic scenarios grows and grows. Maybe a big house where we all can live, or a family town is not such a great idea. At least it is not a great idea for a mom who raised her daughters to spread their wings, to reach for the stars and leave and cleave. A family of multiple cultures, traditions and spiritual beliefs could contribute to a smidgen of unintended controversy or misinterpreted communication. Love always with a conglomerate of diversity. Realistically communal living may not be the best choice for our family.

I often, almost daily, wonder what life would be like for me as I age. I could live in a Yellow Submarine since “everyone of us has all we need. Sky of blue and sea of green” but that is a bit more of “when I’m sixty-four” or “lonely hearts club.”  Will I outlive my husband, or will he outlive me? What plan do either of us have for living without the other? What plan do either of us have for continuing to live life and love living life? Being a burden to any family members is certainly not in our plan. We will continue to live life on Cypress Court and cherish what family time we can share. We will travel, visit, learn and worship. We will find contentment in our memories, pray for good health, and continue to dream big. We could buy a big house where we all could live, or we could buy a town in Tennessee where we could each use our talents and skills to build a town of which we could all be proud! “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

Janie Roberts Davis 12/29/2024