looking through me

Do parents start with a parenting strategy or do they make it up as they go? I’m pretty sure mine came equipped with some ready-to-implement plans. My evidence?

Special days.

Each of the three of us had one special day a summer. They were glorious. In every way.

My special days were all about me. The boys spent the day and night at Grandma and Grandpa’s. I had Mom all to myself all day to do whatever I chose (within reason). And once Dad was off work, I had both of them all to myself. What we did, what we ate, where we went . . . my choice. Some years the big event was in the evening when Dad was part of it. Some years—like when I’d earned two free tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm—the highlight happened earlier in the day and the evenings were lower key.

And on the boys’ days, they picked what they wanted to do.

And the children with the grandparents? It was almost like getting two more special days. Full days and nights at Grandma and Grandpa’s meant Grandma’s cooking and whatever treats she had in store. It meant games of hide ’n’ seek and kickball and building elaborate contraptions on top of the pool table. It meant triple-checking candy bowls to make sure I picked real pieces, not the rubber ones.

I don’t know where the idea came from, but it was amazing. The days weren’t elaborate or expensive, but they were priceless. The time, the memories . . . special days indeed.

This post is part of the 31 Days: Family series. Read the beginning, and see a full index of posts, here.