September 23, 2023 GLORY DAYS

 

One thing people never tell you is that your kids will grow up, move out, live their own lives AND it will never be the same. As my kids were growing up, I never really thought too much about it BECAUSE THEY WERE ALWAYS AROUND.  But when they left-- everything changed. I guess I took my time with them for granted. We tend to take people for granted when they live with us day in and day out. I still see my older kids often-- BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR ME. It's really hard to go from knowing their every move to knowing NOTHING. Letting go is the hardest thing. I still struggle with it and I haven't lived with my older kids for over 10 years. Not sure what I'll do when my youngest leaves --in less than 2 years. Ugh. As horrible as the Pandemic was in 2020, one good thing happened. My daughter came home and lived with us again for several months. I LOVED having her home again. We walked, talked, and drove each other crazy. It was great. I was reminded of my (guilty) good fortune while reading Ann Patchett's new book Tom Lake. This little gem is set during the Pandemic in 2020 in Northern Michigan on a fruit farm. The main character, Lara Nelson, is enjoying spending time with her three adult daughters, Emily, Maisie and Nell, who have come home because of COVID restrictions. As many of the crew has abandoned the farm, Lara and her daughters need to help pick fruit for several hours a day, and to pass the time, they ask their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor she knew briefly in the 1980s. The novel then jumps back and forth between the two time periods as Lara relates the story of her time at Tom Lake, a theater company, where she was almost famous playing Emily Gibbs in Our Town with Peter Duke. I don't want to say much more other than I totally enjoyed this book. It reminded me that we all have a summer in our past  that stands out and it's fun to take a nostalgic look back at our glory days every once in a while.  Find out all about Lara's past and her relationship with Peter Duke and other theater actors when you read this super enjoyable book for yourself. It's only 300 short and sweet pages. Enjoy.