NEW KINDS OF MEETINGS

"Sea Meets Sky", oil,
by Oriana Kacicek

     Yesterday, my second day of retirement, instead of attending meetings at school I was present at other kinds of meetings. I was up early enough to see the darkness join the dawn in their accustomed casual but efficient meeting. I silently sat in on the meeting as I watched through our windows the sunlight lightening the clouds. Some birds sang at the meeting, and some interested squirrels spoke, and a few flowers stood in silent attentiveness at this misty morning gathering. Later, Delycia and I drove up to spend a day with our grandchildren, and we started with a well-organized meeting with them at the kitchen table. The agenda was precise and the talk was trenchant and professional, with nine-year-old Noah presiding. In a few efficient minutes, we prepared a prioritized list of activities for the day, after which the meeting was punctually adjourned and tasty apple turnovers were passed around. Finally, on the drive home after the happiest of days, Delycia and I had a productive meeting side by side in the car. This was the best kind of meeting, an affectionate sharing of feelings, a conference between people who care. We summarized the day’s successes, made a list of favorite moments, and suggested some future modifications in our grandparenting methods. We concluded the meeting with a quick and tender touching of hands in our shipshape Honda Civic workspace.