September 5

Before I get on with today's observation, I feel like I have to say something more about my Violet. When I adopted her almost 16 years ago, I'd finished college just a few months earlier and had just moved to Northern California --a place I'd never lived, where I had virtually no friends-- so Adam and I would have a shot at being together for the long haul. We chose to live apart, so my kitty was, very seriously, my closest buddy (and even at times, my confidante) for a few years. She made living here bearable and was my "person" to whom I could always come home. I'll never forget how important she was to me.

So today. Labor Day. I slept in much later than I'd intended, and when I finally came downstairs, I was surprised to find the kiddos playing. Together. Peacefully. Mostly quietly.

They'd gathered together an assortment of Animal Jam creatures, Littlest Pet Shop pets, Legos, and stuffed animals, and had built a sort of village on the family room floor. What surprised me the most, though, was that the game actually persisted throughout the day.

Don't get me wrong, they love each other. I know that. But I also know that they're of different ages and have reached different developmental stages and have different interests. Yet somehow, today, they put their heads together and came up with a game that they all enjoyed. If kids can do it, it's my hope and sincere prayer that some day, adults will figure out how to do it, too.