I remember Sebastian’s first day of Junior Kindergarten in Toronto like it was yesterday, though it was 9ish years ago now. After dismissal from the half-day program, most of the kids stayed around to play in the snowy kindergarten yard in their big puffy snowsuits. I came to pick him up with his one year old sister in tow, likely grouchy because I always had to wake her from her nap to make it school on time.
I quickly realized there was a lot less helicopter parenting going on than I was used to when several boys tackled Seb, and they all rolled around in the snow. No one ran in to the yard. No one corrected the behavior. I peered over the fence to check on Sebastian, and he just looked at me with this huge grin on his face. Okay, I thought. He’s okay, I’m okay. One of the boys in that pilepup that first day was Sam, and he and Seb stayed friends throughout our five years in Canada. Sam’s mom Sharon became a dear friend of mine. We were in a book club together that became an anticipated and anchoring presence in life there. Most of us were in some moment of transition/transitory time, and we supported each other (and okay, maybe drank a *little bit of wine together).
The boys played soccer together for several years as well, with Sam’s dad Geoff sometimes coaching the team. We enjoyed many school yard and rec center conversations and family dinners over the years. After we left Toronto, their family relocated to Spain, a seaside town called Sitges just outside of Barcelona. We were able to meet up with them for dinner in Sitges and a relaxed Sunday afternoon strolling and eating a fantastic lunch in Barcelona. Sitges was beautiful, and it was wonderful to see them. The boys played frisbee down the spine of Barcelona, and invented ways of bouncing the frisbee off of the stone streets and narrow sides of old town walls. I didn’t take many pictures because I was too buys enjoying the moment. It was great to reconnect.
