Sabbath for Family

It's been a few days of intense family. My one brother came through town on his way north, to his new home, and had a rest stop with us and our grandsons (not sure how much rest he got!) 

Then yesterday we had a zoom party for my mother who just turned 90. (We had planned a whole family reunion for this weekend, but that devolved due to my mother's anxiety about travel and large gatherings.) 

And this morning we are leaving to go north to visit both my brothers, who were together to visit my mother. (We settled on only half of the family visiting in person, and I hope that eased my mother's anxiety)

My youngest brother is flying back to New York tomorrow, so I want to see him before he goes. I'm driving north for 3 hours with W, my daughter, and my two grandsons, and my role is backseat peacekeeper.

Agenda:

1. Read "Happier at Home"

2. Pack for peacekeeping

1. Read "Happier at Home":

I'm reading Happier at Home, by Gretchen Rubin (2012),

 and just turned to a chapter called Family. Like the author, I'm close to my family. I'm superbly lucky to have both of my adult children living within a mile of me, and to care for my two grandsons several days a week.

The first section in this chapter is "Follow a Threshold Ritual." The author has trouble cultivating gratitude, and designed this ritual to help her to "permeate the atmosphere" of her home with thankfulness: Each time she enters her home she pauses to say, "How happy I am, how grateful I am, to be home", and then takes a moment to reflect lovingly on her family.

2. Pack for peacekeeping:

• A toy or two
• special snack 
• drawing pad, crayons and stickers
• plus memorabilia for my brothers