'It's Comin' Around Again.'

I remember each time on the occasion of one of our children 'leaving' home, either for college or marriage, people would send congratulatory cards and also those 'uplift' cards, which were intended to ease the parental pain of separation. I especially recall one such card that carried a verse that went something like..."If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't it never was." There was also that 'other' quote that spoke about 'Life's longing for itself.'

Funny, I think that in those moments there is little emotional-pain medication for the parents. We parents likely ache at those times because we face total loss of control (protection) of our child albeit an adult child and we grapple with our own march to less and less viable relevance; we are growing old.

Well, there is good news for those who may be facing those child-parent departure moments; love given does return. Let me take you back to the year 2003. Gerry & Mel aka, Nana & Boompa began having an annual 'Naboo Camp' for our grandchildren. We continued with this camp for five years.We had those grandkids at our Decatur home for one week without their parents around. We conducted field trips, fishing outings, miniature golf times, zoo visits, museum moments and endless activities, along with nightly theme dinners. The immediate results were lots of laughter, lifetime bonding for cousins and well, let me share the even better news..."IT'S OURS' because it's coming back again and again!

Oldest granddaughter, Amanda, husband Todd and great grandson, Talin find their way to Decatur for the holidays and Amanda holds court for the cousins; she always was their pied piper. Granddaughter, Lindsay for four years bounced from Decatur to Champaign and back while negotiating the academic maze towards a teaching degree. Today, Lindsay continues to involve her Nana and Boompa in her journey. Grandson, Caleb is attending Eastern Illinois University and dates Jacksonville hometown girl who is also at EIU. This past Friday, Caleb and Morgan telephoned Nana and Boompa suggesting a get-together in Amish country (Arthur, IL.) at the Pumpkin Patch. We met them Saturday afternoon for the outing and after Yoder's buffet dinner, Caleb and Morgan followed the old folks back to Decatur where our dessert was S'mores and Morgan impressed with her pumpkin carving skills, leaving Boompa with a STL Cardinals (Redbirds) logo on a large pumpkin.

Next fall it appears that two more grandkids will be leaving their respective homes and attending nearby Illinois State University (Bloomington/Normal), which is 45-minutes from Nana & Boompa; don't you just know there is more of this Capistrano story to unfold!