April 17, 2006

I had a really wonderful week-end in Toronto.

Especially the 5 hour CSI marathon on friday night, that was hella-good.

I discovered something that is going to revolutionize brunch around the world. If you mix your homefries with cayenne, black pepper, salt and fresh cubed yellow mango they are the best thing in the world.

Keep that information safe.

In even bigger news, after complaining that I didn't wear a skirt to seder, telling me I couldn't be a student forever, and that if I didn't get married I would end up on a treadmill like her. Just as I was leaving and she was going to take a nap before dinner, my Bubi actually gave me a big hug. A real hug, arms up and tight against my back, head leaning on my shoulder.

I think the inspiration to behave this way came from Sammy, my 5 year old second cousin. He was running around hugging everyone, and it must have gotten to Bubs. I was trying to figure out as she held on to me, whether she had wanted to be hugging us all this time but never could figure out how to do it until she saw sammy cannonballing from one set of willing arms to another.

It's easy to see old people as children in their vulnerablity, or in their slow loss of bodily control, but I suddnly realized I was holding a 91 year old women who truly resembled a 5 year old in her absolute need for unconditional affection from everyone.

Sometimes I think physical gestures like hugs carry a whole lot more by way of familial reparations than any amount of time I could spend in therapy.

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