Earlier this month two of the important "men" in my life visited here in Johnson City, TN. I picked Caleb up earlier in the day so that we could have some special one-on-one "Caleb and Nan" time before going to Tri-Cities Airport to pick up Tim (aka PopPop).
Caleb and Tim hadn't seen one another since winter so they were both excited to be reunited. This photo is completely candid and I was delighted that I was able to capture it before someone moved out of the viewfinder.
They enjoyed being "guys" together -- cracking jokes, being silly, hiking, swimming, watching tv ... typical guy stuff. It warmed my heart to see them enjoying one another so much. But, what I wasn't prepared for was the intense competition between the two of them -- each one competing for my attention and getting more than a little jealous of the time and attention spent on the other one. Suddenly, my men were "boys" in the truest sense of the word.
In The Red Tent by Anita Diamant the main character, Dinah, speaks of the turmoil within her when she realizes that she is struggling to deal with "a mother's divided heart". While it has been quite some time since I read that wonderful book, that scene had a powerful and lasting impact on me. It expresses so well what I have felt time and time again when raising my own children. And now, this month, I again faced it when having to deal with a husband and a grandson who each felt that they, and they alone, should be granted my full and undivided attention.
It was great fun to see Tim and Caleb together (even if it was stressful and not so much fun to be the center of their rivalry) so I prefer to think back on the visit with images such as these... proof that they did have a good time - even if they had to share me!
