Walking Each Other Home

Ram Dass said it: “We’re all just walking each other home”, but he probably didn’t mean it like THIS.

Side note: I don’t know much about Ram Dass except for this quote and the fact that he went to Harvard — also that he dropped acid with Timothy Leary.

After my grueling DIY brick patio project, I took a break and went for a sunny walk around the lagoon. As I was heading up the hill toward Casa de Enchanted Seashells, my phone rang and it was my two favorite Angel Boys on FaceTime.

“Grandma Grandma, Guess what? We’re coming to you for a visit and Daddy says I’m old enough to go to Legoland ALL day and I can go on all the rides and the waterpark and you’re coming too!”

“Hey buddy, that’s so cool, I can’t wait!”

(You need to know that I wasn’t telling the truth. NOPE. I want to spend an entire day at Legoland about as much as I EVER wanted to go to Disneyland, which is honestly NOT AT ALL. Although I did take the original Angel Boy to Disneyland one time when he was seven years old because he wanted to go, it’s not my cup of tea. Too many crowds, too much noise. It’s overwhelming.)

But for the Angels, I will endure it. I want him to have that memory. These days don’t last forever.

“Grandma, you’re not home, I can see palm trees behind you, where are you?”

“Good eyes, T! I walked around the lagoon and now I’m almost home.”

“Hey, we all went for a walk too, it’s raining here, but I see blue sky at your house.”

“DADDY GRANDMA WENT FOR A WALK TOO JUST LIKE US AND SHE HAS BLUE SKY.”

“Walk me home, T, let’s walk and talk, and I’ll show you what I made for you and C to have tea parties when you’re here.”

“OK, Grandma.”

“T, stop playing with the emojis and talk to me. OK, that heart is sweet, but let’s talk!”

“Can you spell ‘dog’ for me.”

“D-O-G.”

“Awesome. You’re so smart, that’s too easy.”

“Now spell ‘cat’.”

“C-A-T.”

When your daddy was little, we used to walk together and spell and count, too, right on this same street!”

“How about we do some math. Count by tens to 100.”

“10–20–30–40–50–60–70–80–90–100.”

“Amazing!”

“Add 2 plus 2.”

“Grandma, that’s too easy. It’s four.”

“What’s Daddy doing?”

“He’s pruning a tree, see? (He flips the phone.) Mommy and C took a different way home so they’re not back yet.”

“All right, I’m back, see? Thanks for walking me home, my beautiful boy.”

“Yes, I see the garage, Grandma!”

“Now I’m going to flip the phone. Here’s the special place I made for your tea parties.”

“Char’s home now, too.”

“CHAR COME SEE WHAT GRANDMA MADE US!”

“Grandma planted raspberries too, Char! YUM. Just like we have, right?”

“GRANDMAGRANDMAGRANDMA!!!”

“Hi, Angel Girl, did you have a lovely walk?”

“Grandma, Char’s grabbing the phone and we’re inside. BYE!”

“Love you, T.”

“I love you, Grandma!”

Yes, we are walking each other home and this heart is FILLED with gratitude for the journey.