My two children, Elena and Adam, ages 15 and 11, have returned from their summer at sleepaway camp, and everything is much better than it will be. As usual, their recombining with my wife and I has been quite pleasant. To us, they seem like much more agreeable people (compromising, considerate, interested) than we remember, and we suspect they find my wife and I to be much more easy-going and solicitous than we usually are.
It feels like an unnatural high, a honeymoon–but, for now, I’m making believe it’s the new normal. To the extent that I can. Last night, before bedtime, Adam reminded us that his renewed commitment to his responsibilities is still a bit fungible.
“Can someone make my bed who is not me?” he wondered aloud.
My wife and I don’t know whether to laugh or grimace. We’ll see.
Eric Messinger is the editor of New York Family. He can be reached at emessinger@manhattanmedia.com
