Wednesday, July 9, 2008

The Truce


Last night Emma spent the night with a friend. That left Keith and Amy, my chronic feuders, alone together. E-gads! What was my night going to be like???

Surprisingly, Keith and Amy got along. I would poke my head in to see what they were doing, wincing in anticipation of tears and screaming. No such thing happened.

Keith would ask Amy to "please stop," in such a nice voice I almost didn't think he was talking to Amy. And Amy would smile and comply.

I was stunned. Shocked. Amazed.

These two children fight over the pronunciation of words, what grape tastes like, how many Sundays there are in a month, who the dog likes most, anything and everything. And, yet, last night, we peacefully, and (gasp) even cheerfully, watched "Nancy Drew" together on the couch. And we (I think I feel faint) shared a bowl of popcorn.

When it was time for bed, Keith invited Amy to sleep on his & Emma's couch with him. Oh my, who are these children? And can I keep them???

Will this truce last when Emma comes home? Of course not. She buffers the other two. Without her, they had no one else to gang up against. (I've always said that nothing unites a group faster than a common enemy.)

Well, that's not fair. Emma doesn't take part in their squabbles. She doesn't take sides. But she doesn't discourage them, either.

So, I'm wondering if there is any way to get the magic to continue? Realistically, short of heavy duty medication, probably not.

But last night sure was nice! We had a wonderful, easy evening. We went to bed peacefully. And the morning shone with promise.

My ultimate hope is that, despite the sibling feuds of youth, they will grow into a close familial friendship. So that they will have their children play together (like my brother and I do now). And so that they know that whatever else happens in this world, they always have each other.

No comments: