(Reflection of Christopher Russo, Assistant Superintendent in Portland and Reynolds and currently the Director of the American School of Asuncion, Paraguay.)
Since the start of the pandemic my family and I have had to reimagine our lives in many ways. How we go about normal routines and activities. What we do for fun. I think, at least in reflection, over the years we have been caught up in all the pieces that life entails, some very material, some quite distracting, others parts just numbing from the day. I remember early on when Diana and I first met, life was much simpler. Our activities were often defined by a shoestring budget, our interests encompassed by activities like walking, doing crafts together, cooking, maybe even talking. Then life happened (of the adult kind)--jobs with more responsibility, kids came, we began to acquire and build which led to buying a house. I know all these things are quite normal but somewhere along the journey the weekend or evening walks diminished, the Wednesday night craft night disappeared. We simply and purely got caught up in what our lives became and as such grew tired as adults/parents do and looked to things like purchases or trips or dinners out all intended to satiate the inner need that simpler things once addressed.
Homemade cookies from some of Diana's students delivered to the house for her birthday!
Then came this pandemic and life just stopped. I mean literally stopped. To be candid we did come overseas to curb the "hectic" in our lives back in the US, which it did, but some old patterns are hard to kick. But again the pandemic came and then we found ourselves almost in a state of "regression" or going back to what was. This isn't a bad thing at all. It meant we started watching shows together again as a family. It meant cooking together again, as a family. It meant playing games. It meant drinking wine on the balcony. It meant reconnecting for hours on ZOOM with family and friends. It meant, when it was allowed, taking long walks and just talking. It meant a lot of talking. All these things we constantly discussed as important during the busiest times of our lives, lamenting how we just couldn't find time to do them. But here we were, amidst all the anxiety and panic, all the worry and unknown, finding that "peace" or fulfillment that has alluded us to some degree over the years.
Food tray planned by the boys for Diana's birthday!
So this brings me to birthdays. Birthday in the simpler days means handmade gifts and cakes and simple yet exotic first time dinners, but eventually birthdays evolved into being more about purchased gifts, thoughtful of course, but not of the quaint variety anymore.
That is, until the pandemic came.
My birthday was in July. Diana's birthday was just a few days ago in August. Honestly, they were some of the best birthdays I can remember or at least on par with the birthdays we use to have when life was a little slower.
Quinny, my youngest, planned menus and magic show tricks throughout the day. Diana and I found records for the musicians we liked and ordered them for one another and when they came played them on repeat for hours. We both received coupons from the boys to coffee and breakfast in bed and a "movie of our choice." (Which ended up being of the boys choice--totally cool).
Julia and Diana. Julia decided to spontaneously make Diana a "birthday elephant!"
For Diana's birthday we drove to the countryside to see a local artist who made ceramics of river clay. Simple, beautiful pieces of art from river clay. We visited and stayed for what seemed like hours conversing in an artistic, abstract from of Spanish that jumped from topic to topic never quite sure what was to occur next. Even at one point Julia, as that's what the artist's name is, asked Diana what her favorite animal was. Diana responded, "Elephant." (If anyone knows her knows this is quite a favorite of hers.) From there, Julia proceeded to create a clay elephant in her simplistic design as a birthday gift for Diana. It took her maybe 30 minutes and we just sat down on the steps to her patio and just watched. Watched and watched. Her dog came and sat on my lap craving tummy rubs. And Julia, wonderfully eccentric and so very talented, just went on an on speaking about her craft and its 30 year existence while here and there interjecting with questions and comments about life and other things.
Time just stopped that day and once again we found ourselves living amongst those simpler times we have come to crave.
Julia working the trunk on the elephant...
On the way home we stopped on the side of the road for a roadside chipa (like a baked bagel-type thing). We bought three from an excited vendor, exchanged some pleasantries, and then drove back home through the countryside lost in conversation. Wonderful, beautiful conversation...
One of Quinny's magic tricks--how to make slime! (We failed...)
The birthday continued, as described above, for when we got home magic tricks and "child-prepared" food awaited to be shortly followed by a "show of Diana's choice," warm happy birthday texts and messages from friends around the world, followed through the evening with some quality Malbec chilled just right.
Cake and sparking brought over by one of our friends (a surprise) to further honor Diana!
Simplicity, pure as it could be I guess, and all that...
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