We took a few days off from regular life to spend time with our dear friends who were visiting from Canada. They had quite a long wish list of places to see in NYC- Bryant Park, Times Square, the giant Toys R' Us with the carousel inside, the Disney Store, Central Park- and we did them all. And as we journeyed through midtown, pushing a stroller, party of seven, the funniest thing happened. This feat that usually makes me want to pull my hair out- navigating through the most crowded, most insane, more touristy part of the city- suddenly became the most fun I'd had in a while. I guess good friends can do that. The bright lights, the excitement, the magnificent buildings of midtown- it all brought back that enlivening and humbling feeling of being brand new in the big city. And the kids, with their eyes full of wonder and big city dreams, had a blast. They forged bonds and memories that will last a lifetime. By the end of the trip, Biet had inherited a dark-haired "big sister" (because, as our friends put it, "some people are family by blood, and some people are family by love") who played with her and laughed with her and even held her hand as she walked, for the very first time, down a busy Manhattan street. We had a truly thrilling and exhausting time with our guests and can't wait for them to come back. Maybe next time we'll show them around our neck of the woods- downtown.
