I have a very clear memory of a specific evening when my little brothers and I joyfully shouted our greetings to our father when he came home one evening. I remember it because of what I learned from my mother.
And why did she feel the need to teach me something? Well, I was greeting him with my favorite welcome home phrase: "What did you bring me?! What did you bring me?!" I must have been about 6 years old at the time.
Mom's gentle and clear explanation of how that greeting reflected a rather selfish mindset and how to recognize the real and far more satisfying joy of reunion instead, is something that has stayed clear in my mind for over 50 years. It was a good lesson for me to learn.
I don't yell that anymore when I greet him.
Recently I read a piece written by a woman who talked about wanting to buy a fun souvenir for her daughter in order to share with her the pleasant experience she had had while she was away, and the consumerism mindset that she wrestled with as she decided how to act upon that desire to add to the pleasure of their reunion. So that's what brought that memory to mind again.
You can read the piece she wrote here.
I appreciated and enjoyed the candy bars that my father would occasionally bring home to share with us. They were a delightful treat. But it was my mother who taught me what the best thing about Dad coming home really was, and how to fully understand and find recognize the greater, instrinsic joy in reunion. And I am grateful.
