♪ Hear it for New York, New York, New York! ♪♪
A twins reunion
I am trying something a little different here. Not some multi-thousand word exposé on my latest musings, and not an ephemeral post on social media, but rather a short sweet message about reuniting with my twin-sister since last seeing her in September of 2019 when our parents threw us a big birthday party in Prairie Village.
A lot has happened since then. She became partner, built a house and had her second baby-boy. And me, I completed an entire MBA program, ditched the real estate job to become a writer, and can now speak fluent Germenglish.
I have been fortunate these past couple years to travel Europe and the U.S., but because of strict quarantine rules in Cayman, and the busyness of her life, Cathy and her family have been stuck on a Caribbean island for over two years. Sounds exotic and a splendid way to avoid a global pandemic, but trust me, they were ready to stretch their legs.
Her husband is from Buffalo, with that being a first destination for them, but not before making a brief stay in New York City. Similarly, I delayed my eventual Kansas City arrival to fly into New York City from Munich. It was only a surprise for her six-year-old son, who probably wouldn’t have recognized me if we passed each other on the street, but I stood there in front of their hotel in Midtown Manhattan to catch them as they poured out of the car.
What a special couple days it was to spend in Gotham and see her boys with wide eyes peering up at the the towering buildings. For being a demanding tax accountant, I was amazed at my sister’s patience while juggling four little wandering and wiggling limbs in a bustling city. Credit is also absolutely due to Gregg, the calm and understanding husband and dad, for he took on a couple diaper disasters in cramped NYC restaurant bathrooms. My help with everything is hardly worth mentioning.
I jumped on a plane to Kansas City after only three days and they departed recently by train for their stay in Buffalo. Granada is going to be a lively place next week. Lots of LEGOs to play with, books to read, diapers to change, and our mom’s Christmas Cookies to eat!
Merry Christmas to you all—From Kansas with Love.
Merry Christmas, Tom!