Life on an Island

Since a friend's sudden passing in December 2017, I have not touched this blog till now. There were so many feelings that I needed time to process in solitude, the shock at the loss of a vibrant life, the inexplicable feelings about time gone, etc. etc. Eventually I just kept reading novels, immersing in and learning from others' stories and experiences, keeping life simple. Time doesn't stop for anything or anyone, so aging goes on and kids grow, now looking taller than me.

These toddler days in Michigan in 2008-2011, especially in comparison with their current stage of teenage growth, seem so idyllic and far away like a dream.

We just came back from a wedding in Michigan, now in May 2019, 11 years after we moved there for our postdocs. We arrived in Ann Arbor two days prior to the wedding in order to visit all the places we frequented for family activities including the botanic garden and arboretum, Huron River Park, and places we lived.

We really missed the sunflowers in front of our old place and along the road to the Domino's farm. However, none remains today.

Wonder why they got rid of these beautiful summer companions, which now only live in our memories and images.

The farm house remains, but the grassland is now mostly taken up by new development.

And we didn't see blue sky during our short stay.

There are so many cute memories from that period of time, but it was also a very stressful stage in life as we strived to support the family with postdoc income and balance the need to work for future career and to spend time with growing toddlers and then preschooler and kindergartener. Now as we look back as they are in full swing of their teenage years, there's so much nostalgia. In these Michigan years I felt that I did my best to really take them around to be part of diverse family cultural and educational activities and diverse circles of friends. The thing is, during this visit, it became apparent that, the kids forgot almost all of that!!! They explained that their brians have had to make room for all the new things they have had to learn.

As if these then and now comparisons of Michigan times weren't emotional enough, the nephew's wedding was immensely emotional bordering shocking for both hubby and me. When we first started dating, we met his oldest brother's first son, who was a baby then. He sat with us at the wedding, now a handsome healthy 26-year-old. When we were both doing our Masters programs, we visited the oldest brother's family and the sister-in-law was pregnant with the second one. She walked around with us at that late stage of pregnancy to prepare for his birth, and surely he came out 2 days after we left. Now he's getting married, this promising young 23-year-old, while we felt his baby days seemed like yesterday!

Don't know how our lifetime goes by like flowing water.