Ours is a second marriage, 33 years and still going strong. Tina and I each have two sons, and they’ve known each other since they were in elementary school back in Cockeysville, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore.
They played on many teams together, most notably the Gilman School swim team. In fact, the four of them set the school record in the 400-meter medley relay, a record which stood for many years. They all attended Camp Chewonki in Wiscasset at some point, and that experience helped shape their characters, their love of the outdoors and their concern for the environment. They get along very well, bonded by a sense of mutual respect and admiration, even though they’ve taken widely different career and life paths. And, happily, they each know in their bones that Tina and I belong together.
Given that background, it was easy to decide how to celebrate our 80th birthdays this year. Invite all four sons and nine grandchildren to come to our summer cottage in Maine in August for a week of celebration. They loved the idea, so we made it happen. And we had a blast.
The grandkids range in age from 4 to 22, which provided great opportunities for modeling or, more often, just goofing around. Sadly, David IV, our oldest grandchild, couldn’t attend, because he was attending a memorial service for his other grandfather.
First of all, there were games. Endless games. Uno, corn hole, frisbee, salad bowl, spike it, solitaire, Jenga, I doubt it, forehead poker and on and on. I even got to mimic the growling voice of a professional wrestling announcer (“Let’s get ready to rumble!’) while introducing the four contestants at the start of the four brothers spike it tournament. Oh, and my sons David and Jon and I continued playing Wordle, Quordle and Octordle every day and comparing notes, a tradition we began a few months ago.
There were boat rides out to see the seals on seal rock. And tubing rides, one of which featured a wild spill when the cable broke. And, not to be missed, rides to Paul’s Marina to get candy or ice cream.
There were forays out into the world: Popham Beach and the Dolphin and
the Sea Dog Restaurant and Gelato Fiasco. The Sea Dogs game in Portland proved to be a highlight when the Sea Dogs scored 5 runs in the bottom of the eighth and went on to win 6-5.
There were fine conversations after the younger kids went to bed, with topics ranging from college (two of our granddaughters go to Bowdoin, one will be starting at George Washington University this fall, and another has just begun her college search.); politics (not a Trumper in the bunch); and reminiscences about our sons’ early years. Some of them confessed some stories we’d never heard. Why not, at this point?
Meals were no problem as each of the brother’s and their families took charge of preparing a meal or funding a meal if we went out for the evening. An endless supply of waffles or scrambled eggs in the morning and sandwiches at noon proved sufficient. I will say that the mob loved ice cream. And they devoured the two cakes bought for Tina and me – one gluten-free for Tina, and one regular for me. The sons and their spouses prepared a delicious lobster dinner one night.
We adore each of our son’s spouses; they’re smart, spirited, kind and fun. They each did their share and more to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible given the cast of characters. They even helped do a bunch of laundry and made beds before leaving.
As I reflect upon that magical week, I’m most pleased with the warm interactions among all the people of all the ages. Everyone just relaxed and had fun, with no agendas and no squabbles. We are family, and that is precious indeed.
One night toward the end of the week, my son Jon said to me, “Look around, Dad. This is your legacy.” He’s right. And for that, Tina and I are truly blessed.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.
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