HUMANITY
Kindness is Powerful and a Wonderful Gift to Share
New England just got smaller for my daughter’s mom
Briana and I have added a new member to our road trip clan — her mom, also known as my ex-wife. We divorced more than 20 years ago but remained friends. Make no mistake; there’s a reason she’s my ex-wife, just as there are reasons I’m her ex-husband.
After we divorced, she wanted to move back to Kansas to be with her aging parents and asked if she could take the girls. I figured my daughters had as much right to spend time with their grandparents as I did with my mom, who showed signs of dementia.
I’m no saint, but I knew that would be a trying time for my mom and siblings. And it was. So Vicky packed up their belongings and headed off to the land of Oz. In time, she would remarry. I say good for her. But I wasn’t having that again. I dated often, but I wasn’t interested in getting married again. I’m still not. I’d be happy to be in a relationship, but I’m not putting a ring on it. When my time is up, everything I own goes to my daughters.
Moving on, my ex-wife moved back to Massachusetts to spend time with her daughters here. My middle child, Whitney, still lives in Kansas.
Vicky has some significant health issues — nuff said. I thought it would be nice if she joined Briana and me on our road trips. It’s not a matter of feeling sorry for my ex and tossing her a few crumbs. Briana and I have made a lot of memories on the road. She promptly puts her AirPods in and ignores me while I listen to books on Audible or music.
We do talk, of course, share a laugh, or bitch at each other. We also express our love with a simple gesture during our drives; We’ll tap elbows to say I love you. We say it to each other all the time. It’s something I taught my children. Always end a conversation with “I love you.”
You never know what the next moment will bring.
A couple of weeks ago, I asked Briana if she minded letting her Mom hang out with us so they could spend time together. Bringing Vicky along comes with benefits. No, not those. She has a handicapped placard allowing me to park closer to stores, etc. I don’t really care about that; walking has never been an issue. But it does come in handy for Vicky, who often needs a walker or depends on Briana to help her get around.
Vicky had never been to Maine, which is one of our favorite states in New England to visit. So we jetted off to York Beach, Ogunquit, and Kittery, Maine, so she could be a tourist for the day. All it cost me was a few gallons of gas and listening to Vicky and Briana run their mouths. My daughter bought lunch, so I got a free meal out of it as well. Life is good on occasion.
We’re headed to a casino in Rhode Island to lose some of our hard-earned cash. After we’re broke, we’ll head to Newport so Vicky can cross another trip off her bucket list. I’m pretty sure she’ll get to see all the New England states in time.
Why not? It costs nothing to be kind.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for stopping by.