New Chapter of Conversation

In this new chapter, my wife has gone to pick up Joel and to spend a day and half with her mother. Suddenly I am alone in the house. I must keep the kitchen clean, do some laundry, feed the goats, cats, dog, empty the dishwasher, straighten the living room, sweep the back porch, check the mail, clean up the desk, vacuum the floor, and the multitude of other chores that seem to pervade the owning of a home. Don't misunderstand me entirely here, I do many of these things anyway, however, I must admit that most of them are at the encouragement of my wife. This probably means that were I to live alone, I would not be near as conscientious of these valuable needs, matters that make a house into a home, and details that may cause me some consternation and complaining but in fact provide stability and organization.

At the same time, I am somehow energized as I take care of these many things and anticipate settling down and reading another book by Philip Roth, who some consider the greatest living American novelist. I am not in conversation with myself, lest you fear I am no longer in touch with my personal faculties, but I am in conversation with my home, our animals (no, not at all like Dr. Doolittle, but rather in a solve some of their problems mode), and a book. Yet as I dwell on the many blessings and gifts of life and enjoy the quiet solitude of this moment as king of the castle, I also recognize that the castle means nothing without the people. The people give it warmth and give it meaning, and the people, with all their idiosyncracies, make it complete and make it a family.

Once again, I look forward to the return of my family to our humble domicile where peace is not found in silence but rather in love and compassion for each other. Each of us is a valued part of the whole with Joel and his smile, Jordan with his creativity and expression, Jacob with his objective pragmaticism, Clairissa with her domesticity and love of her family, and me with my...not sure what I offer but it must be something!

So I conclude this oddly personal conversation and will abruptly spin back to essays of philosophy for the future. Thanks for this brief opportunity to romanticize and embrace the Tucker family. My journey into Tuckerland has been short but rich in purpose. It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder and in this case, the saying is so true.