Many are beginning to come out of their sheltered environments. The danger still lurks, but the cabin fever is beginning to drive some to certain insanity. I mean, after all, how long can a family stay together in one dwelling place and not get a little edgy.

Jan and I ventured off, for our first get away since the beginning of the pandemic. We took off Sunday after church and headed towards Clemson (you know nothing safer that a large college environment during a pandemic!). We loaded up Elsie and headed that way to see, as Elsie would way, “My boys.”

The reconnecting with our family in Clemson was a wonderful experience. Andrew, William, and Elsie played hard in the yard Sunday afternoon while Jan, Heather, Daniel, Courtney and I sat and watched their energy, laughing at their every move. Bedtime could not come soon enough for us older folks.

Labor Day began with Hardees biscuits–something of a tradition. Then off to the ballfield to watch the boys practice. It was wonderful. I actually marked off something on my bucket list–I played catch with my grandson. That may not seem to be a big deal to most, but for me it was a milestone.

The next stop was the playgroud where the boys showed off their athletic prowess, and Elsie displayed extreme caution. The biggest monkey in the group proved to be Courtney! Groucho’s for lunch. We were surrounded by Clemson college students–I could see the Covid-19 germs floating all around us–but who cared we were having fun!

We could not end the day without ice cream, so the next stop took us to the sterile TCBY for frozen yogurt. While most of us gobbled our treat–Elsie took her time to remove each mini m&m that topped her vanilla yogurt. Whipping each one clean, making sure no ice cream contaminated her m&m.

We rushed back to the house to play on the trampoline. Andrew and I built a fort (a kidzone activity for the week). It was hard to say good bye when it came time to leave. Elsie napped all the way home, while Jan and I rehashed our Labor Day experience.

My point–The pandemic may have done it’s best to keep us isolated and fearful of each other. However, the reconnecting may be the greatest blessing of all. Let’s be careful, of course. Wear your mask, wash your hands, and stay away from large crowds–but do not let fear dominate your relationships. Find a way to reconnect!

This is my story…