anticipation

(Yes, everyone had the ears on for some stretch Wednesday.) Behind Tobias is our visual symbol of the advent season. Each day when the boys come down there is something in the mitten/hat - a painted, wood figure that when complete will form a nativity scene (today - a donkey), a ticket for lunch out w/Dad, two tootsie rolls, a trip to visit Santa at the fire hall,... Tobias "opens" even/hats and Elijah "opens" odd/mittens. Next year we need to incorporate returning to the mitten/hat a note with what we're thankful for each day. They aren't the type of kids that are going crazy about Santa and I doubt they'll wake up before their usual time on the 25th. But I'm grateful they sense the general Christmas excitement.

Well, time is a tough concept - especially when Elijah talks about cutting his "eye" yesterday in Denmark (15 months ago) and Tobias tells Greg Tuesday night we went to a LeLeche League meeting a "really long time ago" (happened same day). How about that Jesus was born roughly 2000 years ago? Or your mother and father were once little kids? Or someday you'll be grown ups with your own little babies? Elijah thinks being a grown up will be terrific because he'll be able to drive a red mustang and say damn it when he drops something. But he also doesn't want to grow up because he claims he wants to go where ever I go. Wonder if he'll want me to go with him in his red mustang as he picks up his prom date? I digress...

Anyway, waiting is tough no matter the age. One of the few things we can be certain of, however, is that time eventually passes and "someday" is soon a "really long time ago".

Have to copy in one of my favorite poems. Hope you find it to also be a favorite. Think I'm missing some of the proper breaks between stanzas (I cut and paste). Excuse my poor expression of my quality education!

Ithaka
As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,

full of adventure, full of

discovery.

Laistrygonians and Cyclops,

angry Poseidon-don't be afraid

of them:

you'll never find things like that

on your way

as long as you keep your

thoughts raised high,

as long as a rare excitement

stirs your spirit and your body.

Laistrygonians and Cyclops,

wild Poseidon-you won't

encounter them

unless you bring them along

inside your soul,

unless your soul sets them up in

front of you.

Hope the voyage is a long one.

May there be many a summer

morning when,

with what pleasure, what joy,

you come into harbors seen for

the first time;

may you stop at Phoenician

trading stations

to buy fine things,

mother of pearl and coral,

amber and ebony,

sensual perfume of every kind-

as many sensual perfumes as

you can;

and may you visit many

Egyptian cities

to gather stores of knowledge

from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your

mind.

Arriving there is what you are

destined for.

But do not hurry the journey at

all.

Better if it lasts for years,

so you are old by the time you

reach the island,

wealthy with all you have

gained on the way,

not expecting Ithaka to make

you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous

journey.

Without her you would not have

set out.

She has nothing left to give you

now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka

won't have fooled you.

Wise as you will have become,

so full of experience,

you will have understood by

then what these Ithakas mean.

C.P. CAVAFY