5 Days Etched in My Memory

Riding in a car for more than 900 miles, with my son, Holden, is a memory I won’t forget.

A wedding out East, for a close friend, Sonya, was all the motivation we needed to make this trip.  She is a lovely person.  Holden roomed with her while at the University of Michigan - they were music majors and co-conspirators!

A Short Time for Holden and Sonya to Visit
(and for Sonya to rub her tired feet)

When Holden moved to Berlin, Germany, Sonya and I stayed in touch.  Holden conspired to have her take me for a Mother’s Day and birthday dinner in order to take his place, a couple of times.  I’ve never had a dull moment with Sonya.  Her conversation is engaging and she’s a genuine deal.

Holden had five days to make this trip to the U.S., drive with me out East and return to Germany, so as not to miss teaching English to his young students.  I think he felt it was as worth it as I did.

Ann Arbor Haircut Before Our Travels

A Definite Must!
Zingerman's for a Toasted Bagel

Living in Berlin gives Holden a craving to drive when he arrives in the U.S.  There’s something about having your hands on the wheel and traveling seventy-five miles an hour down a divided highway, in a Trailblazer. (Especially since he doesn’t have a vehicle in Germany) He handed over the wheel a few times, out of fatigue, but was glad to do much of the driving.  I eventually got use to his driving.  I forgot how he learned from his father and drives exactly like him.  Quick starts and stops, accelerating around curves and now and then complaining about “Idiot” drivers on the road. 

I think he felt the same way about my driving.  I think of myself as an aggressive driver, but I’m more cautious about pushing the speed limits.  My starts and stops aren’t as quick and I give the other drivers a LOT of space between us to make mistakes.  But…. I have “Crazy” moments where I’m apt to cross two lanes at a time to make a unexpected turn or realize too late I haven’t been listening to the directions on the phone and say out loud, “Where are we?” It made him jump a couple of times. I could almost hear him thinking, “What the hell!??”

I have to laugh to myself about the discussion we had about U-Turns.  He said if there is no sign warning against U-Turns then it’s lawful.  Sure enough there was a place in West Virginia that had a sign that said it allowed U-Turns, right at the traffic light.  I couldn’t believe it!!

Downtime for Holden at the Bread and Breakfast
Where We Stayed For Two Nights

The most difficult driving of the trip was up Mountain Lake Road in Pembroke, Virginia.  The narrow road winds up to the top of a mountain for seven miles.  There’s no space to make a mistake and when the signs say the corner is taken at ten miles an hour, it’s not kidding. 

We made two trips up and down that mountain.  The two trips down were at night and were very scary.  Deer would appear out of nowhere and I had to put the vehicle into lower gear in order to keep the car from going too fast or from excessively using the brakes.  When the lights of another vehicle were heading toward us, it felt like a “Hail Mary” was needed to skim by the other car without going in the ditch (Or down the steep edges).

Holden and I shared many hours together.  He kept a variety of music playing from his cell phone.  From eerie, instrumental music to Japanese pop-rock. (If that’s even a genre)  I felt lucky to be able to hear him rehearse for an opera part he’ll do in the near future.  He told me, “Mom, let me know if you want me to stop, or if this gets too annoying.”  He was serious!!  He has no idea how much I love to hear his voice.  His tenor voice is rich and beautiful. He played a small piano on his phone, had his music on his i-pad and some real sheet music on his lap, besides.

Quick Picture Snapped From Inside the Car

He’d tell me about the composer, the part he's going to play and how insanely difficult some parts were, even singing them slowly.  We had talks about feminism, our current president, his life in Berlin and so many unexpected conversational gems.  We always knew when we were getting hungry because the topic started shifting to food.

Holden read aloud to me from his German book and read poems from a book he’d purchased recently, at The Common Language Book Store in Ann Arbor.

I felt so loved.  He not only didn’t mind me coming with him to his friend’s wedding, but he embraced the whole process.  He danced with me, introduced me to people he knew and asked me more than once how I was doing. 

I haven’t danced as much since I was in high school.  No one really cared who had a partner or not, sometimes it was in a circle, sometimes mingled in a sponge of bodies.  I enjoyed watching my son dance, too.  Many people commented to me on what a good dancer he is and I agree… he moves and the music follows.

Two, young, twin girls were the bridesmaids.  When they came down the aisle one of them threw the whole basket of flower petals in front of her.  I thought, “I bet she didn’t really understand when they said she was going to throw the basket of petals.”  Her twin was the opposite, she was doing the little princess throw like the petals would break if she wasn’t gentle enough with them.

One of the six-year-old twins had recently been treated for Lyme’s disease.  She had a tick behind her ear and it wasn’t discovered until she needed treatment for it.  They weren’t sure she’d be able to participate in the wedding she was so ill.  (I included the link for info on the increase of ticks this season) http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/06/13/preventing-lyme-a-new-disease-ticks-spread

Sonya planned a memorable wedding event. From the soft, hanging, ball-lights in the hall, to the late bonfire on the hill, giving everyone another chance to visit and toast the couple.  The details were not lost on me.  I think the finest detail of all were the loving smiles on Sonya and Arian’s faces when they spoke their vows and danced the night away with their friends and families.  

Sonya and Arian

Another detail too important to let go unnoticed...they brought Holden and me together for their celebration.  Priceless.