I’ve just returned from a five day mini-vacation in Portland, Oregon and it could have not been more fun. Why? We were celebrating the return of our youngest daughter to life in the Pacific Northwest. For the last six years our little gypsy has been living in upstate New York and Boston. (There was even a five month stint in Africa during her graduate studies.) At each and every step of the way, she has had our support, as she was following her dreams. Our job as her parents? Put a smile on our faces and cheer her on! But in our heart of hearts, in that silly, only-thinking-of-ourselves place, naturally there were times when we selfishly wished she was closer. It was somehow reassuring that both she and her siblings felt similarly.
So you can imagine the glee all of us felt when life circumstances brought her to Portland. It gets even better when you know that her big brother and his spouse already live there. Yes, the family was in full “happy dance” mode as we came together once again. In this day and age of long distance families, now with two kids to the north and one to the south, I truly appreciate our good fortune. This is an arrangement I can happily live with!