March Slice of Life No. 7.
An EM and EN Tale
It is a motionless evening after a warm, uneventful August day. My daughter and I are sitting on her yard swing, chatting. Her youngest two are playing as a 5-year-old sister (EM) and a 7-year-old brother (EN) who are “best buds” will do at the end of a summer day.
After a while, I notice EM and EN are no longer playing together. EN is beating one of the scooters with his hard foam sword. The wheels on the scooter are pink. {This is a significant observation.}
EM walks over to our swing and reports that EN is beating on her scooter. Mommy calls EN to come to the swing and tells EM to go to the house. EM ignores the instructions, hanging close lest she miss the drama that’s sure to unfold.
EN stands quietly by the swing as Mommy repeats her instructions to EM. Slowly EM swings her long blonde hair as she turns and heads toward the house.
Mommy and EN have a short, calm exchange. Mommy draws it to a close by saying, “Please go to the bathroom and wait for me.”
EN stands ramrod still, makes his eyes and face very sad, and with a soft pleading tone asks, “Can you make it gentle?”
I am alone, gently pushing myself back and forth on the yard swing, surrounded by the hush of a warm summer evening in my daughter’s yard, thankful to be the grandma.
Other EM Tales:
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Thank you to
Two Writing Teacher
Simply observed. I can picture the moment and numerous accompanying feelings, though unnamed.
The image of the swing, first and last, and the emphasis on all the relationships in this draft make it stand out.
Lol! I have had those thankful grandma moments myself. I always smile a little and observe from a distance. Thank you for sharing your perspective!
Oh, yes! Being the grandma is the best. We have served our time in the trenches. Now you can enjoy time in the swing.
Sometimes it is hard to sit back and not interject our own thoughts. Sounds like your daughter has control of the situation.
Ohh. So hard to watch. I hate it when kids get in trouble (even my own kids).
I was interested in how you tackled keeping the names in the story but the privacy of the kids.
Yes, in these situations I am thankful to be the grandma too and hand the responsibility to another!
That must be a bit awkward watching your daughter having to discipline your grandchildren.
Oh, your closing sentence is just priceless! Love the dialogue – a universal story!
Grandma moments are the best moments. Especially when you can sit back and swing!
Oh yes, there are many moments when I am very grateful to be the aunt! I love the kids, but discipline and diaper changes are best left for the parents. I am still waiting to find out what kind of grandma I will be.
Ha ha ha…now that is something to look forward to! That and being able to give out treats all over the place, which is certainly a benefit of being the grandparent around here, and just as it should be. Thanks for the slice.