Be Like Marley

Thursdays are special. Thursdays are my daughter’s day off. This means the grandkids are available. I’ve made it a point since they were born to make sure they know and have a loving relationship with my father, their great grandpa A.K.A. “Pop”. They are his only two great grandchildren. So, every Thursday with very few exceptions, I and one or the other grandchild* have lunch with “Pop” at his favorite local coffee shop, Java Johnny’s. Upon finishing the first lunch and heading home my grandson was talking incessantly about “Johnny Johnny’s” and lunch with Pop-and eating pickles. Needless to say, the name stuck.

Recently I started back to work after a surgery. The job is a twelve hour shift and was going to put a temporary end to our lunches at “Johnny Johnny’s.” My first week back, just to get back into the swing of things, I worked eight hour days-Noon to eight in the evening. I knew lunch was out of the question but breakfast on Thursday morning wasn’t. Pop was not available and it turned out that both kids were excited to go to my favorite coffee shop, Triple Moon Coffee Co..

I oftentimes call the coffee shop “The Moon.” In the fairly short drive to the Moon, my two and a half year old granddaughter talked the entire way. It was all about how we had to wear our space helmets at the Moon and all other aspects of our assumed space travel adventure. The folks at the coffee shop loved the kids and the kids had a great time.

On our way home we drove past “Johnny Johnny’s.” I commented on how full the parking lot was and that they were really busy. I was about to say, “I’m glad we didn’t go there this morning.” when Marley spoke up and said in the most delightful tone, “It’s great day at Johnny Johnny’s! The clouds went away and the sun is shining!”

Lets all try to be like Marley today.

Peace, love & knitting. Amy

*I feel it is very important for the kids to do things individually and to develop their own relationships with my dad. The younger one being just one when the pandemic hit had been with a parent and/or one or both of her siblings most of her life. When it was Marley’s turn to have lunch with Pop, my daughter prepped both Marley and her brother Liam the night before; explaining that Liam went last week and this week was Marley’s turn. The first lunch alone was difficult and Marley actually insisted that her eleven year old brother come with her. After she saw it wasn’t a terrible experience, she could not wait for her next turn.