Candy Land Revisited

Dear Rachel,

Lesley and I opened a few of our presents yesterday. Usually we wait until you kids can be there (early January, generally), but we figured we might as well open the ones that came from family. (As if our family hasn’t already done enough for us this year!)

As we sat there unwrapping our goodies, I couldn’t quite manage the joy and excitement we used to feel. There was no fun in it this year, not that I really expected that there would be. As we sat there amidst the colorful wrapping paper and ribbons, I thought back to happier times when we would all gather together and unwrap presents, some beautiful, some handy, some just silly. It was always so much fun watching you and Amy! I suppose it’ll be a while before I feel like that again.

I guess I took those happy times for granted back then. Things have changed now, of course. As Joni Mitchell said, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

I hope I never took you for granted. I hope I gave you what you needed. If ever I was too busy to talk, to help with a school assignment, to play catch or Monopoly or Candy Land, I wish I could apologize for that.

Yes, even Candy Land. You loved that game. I suspect that, like many kids, it was the first board game you learned to play. I hated it; any adult of sound mind would. It was boring, pointless, overly simple, and repetitive. So, naturally, you wanted to play it for hours. Back then I’d just as soon have a root canal as play Candy Land. Now, I would give anything just to play it with you one more time. I’d even let you win.

Love,

Dad