Saturdays are just about my favorite day of the week and not for the reason you might suspect. Yes, it is the weekend and the world gets a little more lax although not much about my Saturday changes from other days of my week under lockdown lite. I love that Ana gets to spend the day with me instead of work. I love that we take long walks together with the pups. These are all wonderful reasons to like Saturdays but Saturdays are my favorite because every Saturday I get to talk to my nephews and nieces. I have two bio nephews and two bio nieces and I adore them.

It begins with a facetime call with the boys, they tend to get up earlier so the phone call is ready earlier. Yesterday it went a bit wonky and we didn’t get to chat but its ok, that sometimes happens. Usually I get to hear about their weeks and what art project Henry is up to. I get to hear about what they ate for first breakfast and what they will do later in the day. We chat for a bit and then they are quick to push the red button, usually to peals of laughter and mayhem.

Then about an hour later I will get a text from my oldest of my three younger brothers to tell me the girls are ready. I call them and one of the girls is holding the phone. They each get turns holding the phone and telling me whatever it is they have been waiting to tell me. I am amazed at how they are seeing the world through technology. It is not unusual for Maiava, my eldest niece, to set me up somewhere on the phone and for her to show me books, dance moves, sliding, “cooking” in her kitchenette or yesterday showing me each new Christmas decoration they just bought. I couldn’t chat for long yesterday but we talked about each item and then she said, “Aunt Courtney, on Thanksgiving will you watch the show?”

Now what she means here is the musical my family watches every. single. Thanksgiving. The greatest Christmas movie ever, “White Christmas.” We watch it, we all sing along, we have it in the background and it kicks off our season.

“Of course I will be watching the show on Thanksgiving. You?”

“Yup! But Aunt Courtney, you won’t be watching with the family!”

“I know, babe, not this year but I will watch it and I will sing and we can know that we are kind of watching it together and maybe next time we can watch together.”

“Aunt Courtney, do you have Christmas decorations?”

“I do! And I just can’t wait for Christmas!”

“Oh but you have to wait. You have to be patient.”

“I know, love but I am not great at patience.”

“Aunt Courtney, good things come when you are patient at Christmas. You must be patient.”

And just like that….out of the mouths of kids. I had heard a pearl of wisdom in the midst of this crazy time. Patience. Patience.

And don’t forget to watch the show.