Tuesday's a Verb

It all started one night as I watched a TV show all by myself.  Enjoying it, and feeling a little extremely guilty for indulging myself every Tuesday for an hour in such a way.  All by my lonesome.   I'm embarrassed to say what the show was so let's just leave that for another day.  Enter:  Kjirstin.  "Wanna come over and watch with me next week?"  Now there are two.  Amazing how it all of a sudden feels better when there are two.  Don't quite recall how long we watched together, but it wasn't long before,... "Can I come live with you?"  Enter:  Melissa.  Melissa now lives with Jake and I and by default, ends up watching this unnamed show with Kjirstin and I.  Where is Jake?  Well, he's 'around', but by no means committed to any TV show in the living room with the girls.  

I'm a little fuzzy on details, but one night we decided to have food together (you get hungry when you watch TV with friends!) and we thought it would be good for Jake if we invited Jeremy over for food (read: Moral Support) and to watch the show with us.  And now there are 5.  And I'm pregnant, so technically, there's 6.  

All of a sudden: Light bulb!  Where's Eric?  "Are you free Tuesdays? We watch this awesome show Want a home-cooked meal?"  And then there were 7.  And that's how it happened.  

This show lasted a little while.  Just long enough to realize that we were having more fun during the muted commercials than during the actual program.  And thus, the TV was forever muted.  "Tuesday's" were formed, and from there on out, 7 of us joined together in family and in love to share life together, eat together, and play together in the midst of our crazy schedules.  

Although I say Tuesday's were "formed,"  each Tuesday we would still call each other and say, "are we on?"  Simply to be sensitive to the crazy schedules everyone kept...  but pretty soon it became an unnecessary gesture, as every week everyone would show up.  What fun we had. We read about my pregnancy, we shared our week of ups and downs, and we ate really yummy, home-cooked meals.  We put together the nursery, we massaged tense muscles, and prayed for each other if going through a rough time.  And then, Hunter was born.  The crew became officially "complete" when he showed up, adding an amazing new element to us siblings.  We all had something new to love, to play with, to hug, and gave everyone a new reason and purpose to show up to family night.  Quite a change from my solo TV watching days!

Now Kjirstin is pregnant. Whee!!!  We read about her pregnancy, we talk about ups and downs, we play with Hunter and take turns feeding and throwing him.  We eat yummy food and maybe even play lawn games.  We discuss life; past, present, and future.  We plan parties, discuss boring details, and go home VERY full.  My parents have also realized that they can get in on this!  We see them from time to time on Tuesdays, and we love it.  It doesn't always work out for them to be here on a Tuesday, but we are so grateful to have a chance to be all be together, on a WEEKnight, every so often.  Wow!  And to think that my parents might have had fears about their kids getting along...

Tuesday's have truly become something I look forward to every week.  No matter what.  In fact, I didn't know how much I have appreciated this stability in my life until I realized this as a brief season.  A temporary gift we have been given to live life together, in the same city, to love and spend time with just us.  Family.  The ones you're obligated to be with, but when obligation turns to desire, an amazing relationship is formed.  There are so many people in Bellingham I love, sometimes its hard to not invite them all!  But no one else would understand when I say, "But I'm not a goose!!" or when I say "Ner-Ner" or  "Piggly Wiggly" or thousands of other inside jokes...  

We said goodbye to Eric this past Tuesday, as he is finishing up his last final tomorrow.  He's packin' up and heading out on Friday, to live the summer at home.  We'll be saying goodbye to Melissa as she heads to Sweden for a year-long stint as an Au Pair for a lucky family of 3 kids.  And as for me?  We'll be wrapping up our Bellingham stint (11 years!) this Summer, as we move forward, move ahead and literally move out of the city, headed towards Jake's wonderful family and a new job opportunity.  (This last sentence is foreshadowing of a future, longer post to come)

So Tuesdays are soon to be a distant memory, a beautiful remembrance of the time we invested in one another.  A loving reminder to hold your siblings close, as they someday may be more special than you once thought.  We won't be together in person on the Tuesdays when Lady Glessner is interrupting our conversations with coos and smiles, but we will be together in spirit, with as much 'in-person-ness' as we can muster with skyping and phone calls... and with as much love as one can send from miles away.  

Thank you mom and dad for giving us to each other.  You may never know how you have helped us be who we are in the world, and to one another.  

No matter where I'm at on Tuesdays in the future, I will fondly remember our shared lives during those special years of 2011 and 2012 where God gave us the gift of closeness; in proximity and in heart.