Every Day Is a Story – Eating and Watching TV · 8 August 2009
While eating and watching TV can be done just about anywhere, these mundane activities are much more memorable at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Maybe it is the different food served. Or maybe it is the novelty of higher-end cable or satellite television. More likely though it is the company and just being at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.
When we go to my parents’ house, we always get good food. They barbeque steaks or hamburgers or fish. They make shish kabobs or teriyaki. And they make enough food for a whole army. We always go home heavier than when we got there.
We get heavier when we visit my wife’s mother too. She treats us like royalty with special dinners. She makes the most incredible salads of anybody. Green, fruit, potato, or some other specialty. They are all delicious treats that complement the entrees. She always has treats for the kids. And she always makes some kind of fruit cobbler for me. Regardless of how hot it makes the house.
Regardless of which grandparents’ houses we go to, we not only get great food, the kids see that the grandparents all have better TV channels than we do. To be more accurate, they have more TV channels than we have. Our oldest likes to watch sports, especially, the Mariner games with his grandparents. The younger two like to watch the Nickelodeon and Disney channels. And The Mindboggling Mrs. Miyoshi likes to watch the home and garden channel with her mom and my parents. They are all mesmerized by the seemingly endless channel choices compared to our limited cable options at home. Unfortunately, the novelty of all those channels does not wear off in a short visit. Fortunately, we usually have enough activities between their TV binges to keep everybody entertained.
While the food and TV viewing are great, eating and watching TV with our parents, the kids’ grandparents, is what makes these activities special. When the memories of all the great food fade and the lines from the shows are forgotten, I hope the kids remember being with their grandparents. Shouting at a great play during a Mariner game. Rolling around after eating too much dinner. Telling jokes or stories after dinner. These are the things I remember and that I hope the kids hold dear in their hearts.
I guess what it comes down to is that the mundane becomes special when you do it with people you love. Even when the mundane activities are eating or watching TV. These simple pleasures are hard to beat when they are done with the grandparents.
© 2009 Michael T. Miyoshi
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| Every Day Is a Story – Boat Rides | Summer Project 2009 |