Chasing the Kids

Back in the olden days when our children were young, my running shoes were my biggest asset. It seemed that I was always chasing the kids. And now that they are grown up, it’s no different.

I have vivid nightmares of watching Jennifer or Jamie running out on the street after our dog Snoopy, as I chased after them, praying that no cars would come screeching around the corner. As they got older I chased them around the house in a more figurative sense, checking to see that they were doing their homework, and not just hiding in a corner talking on the phone to a friend. As they moved past their teens, I followed them in a van loaded with furniture and clothes as they settled in to whatever university town they had chosen.

Now that they are all grown up, have changed their names to Jen and James, and have families of their own, the chase has taken on a more long-term aspect. First of all Peter and I decided to move from our small village north of Toronto into the city, so that we could be closer to all the kids; Peter’s too. All 5 of our newly-blended families lived in the GTA and we were the envy of many friends whose children had moved to BC, Florida, and even Australia. We didn’t actually Admit we were moving to the city so we could be closer to them, but that was certainly part of our thinking.

Then Jen and her husband moved from Toronto to Orangeville. They joined Richard’s sister, and they loved the lower house prices. Hmmm… would we like to live in Orangeville? I looked at the website and discovered that Orangeville has a lot to offer. There are sweet little boutique stores, scenic hiking trails, and delightful restaurants. I even wrote an entire blog post about the carved trees on the main street (See April 13, 2021, Walking On Broadway). But moving there from a big city? Maybe not for us.

Next, James started talking about moving to Barrie. Great house prices there too. But battling snow storms on highway 400? Not a good way to spend the winter. Then he and his wife began hinting about moving to the Philippines, where Glenda’s family live. It’s a lot cheaper to live there than in Toronto, for sure. But an awful lot farther than Barrie. We tried not to think about it. Moving there as an option for us? Too hot!

Last February, Peter’s daughter Andrea and her family moved to New Zealand. (And we got Missy and Sissy the mice). They said it was only for a year, but Agnes has already let it slip that they may stay a few months longer. As for us moving there – it is a beautiful country which we visited a few years ago, but it’s miles and miles away from everybody else.

Then, a few weeks ago, Peter’s son Dan and his wife Jenny tossed us a bombshell. They would be moving to New York. This month. A great job offer and the thought of living in the most sophisticated city in the world was hard to turn down. So they have packed up. We will be storing some of their personal items, but fortunately they have no mice, and they are taking their dog with them. Would we move to NYC? With condo rentals more pricey than gold, probably not. Besides, there are immigration details to be worked out, a very lengthy process unless one is going for a specific job. But we could visit!

And I guess that’s the solution. Stay in one city, that we love, and keep our suitcases handy.

There is still one “child” who hasn’t declared any moving plans. Maybe we could suggest a place. How about England? We haven’t been there in quite a while…

Sue