Letter From the Editor-
A New Season
Do you remember that song “To everything, there is a season”? It was a big hit by the Byrds back in the day. As we change the calendar to the much anticipated Spring, Bob and I fumble to adjust to another new season in our lives.
Just when we felt confident we had figured out the complex world of parenting young children and then teens, we blinked and became parents of adult children. That is definitely a game changer and we haven’t quite learned all the rules yet.
Our 22 year old twin daughters came home from college last week for Spring Break. There is nothing that can make a mother’s heart quite as happy as having all her children back in the nest. But spending time together while respecting their space and new found independence, can be a tricky dance.
“Do you want to have a softball catch?” Bob eagerly asks Sarah. Ten years ago that would have elicited a huge smile, guaranteed. Now she doesn’t even bother to answer. Later I hear her tell her sister “He still talks to me like I’m eight.” I try to create memorable day trips, but they are not very interested in that either. Mostly I find they just want to chill at home and catch up on some homework.
Then there is our oldest, Jamie, who is nearly 24 but is developmentally closer to four years old. He fully expects them to watch Disney movies or Spongebob with all the same enthusiasm he has for it. Yet because he is on the Autism Spectrum, keeping everything the same means the world to him and having is sisters home is clearly different. So as his father and I fumble to know what to do and say, he declares they simply do not belong here. “Go back to college,” he exclaims, as I cringe and regret all those years of speech therapy. You can imagine how much they appreciated that. The stress escalates, Jamie melts down and Sarah and Holly retreat to the sanctuary of their rooms, with locked doors.
Day two goes slightly smoother and by Day three we bond over taking the dogs to the beach. Soon they will be heading back to college and we will wonder if we spent enough time with them or missed an opportunity. Jamie will be confused that they are missing and ask where they are, at least two thousand times.
Whether it’s adjusting to a new baby or caring for an elderly parent , we all go through different seasons of our lives. Some are smoother transitions than others. Some bring joy and some bring sorrow, but most bring some of each. The only thing that remains the same is the passage of time and the guarantee of a new season ahead.
But unlike other seasons, Spring symbolizes new growth. This issue of Shore Local marks our second anniversary. We are very thankful for the growth and the support we have had from you, our readers, our advertisers and our contributors. We love creating this publication and have exciting plans for its further growth and outreach in the community.
Here’s to no more snow and warm Spring days ahead for us all.
