Growing up, developing your spirit, relationships and friendships. Taking care of and being more aware of your body. Not always easy. No time to take a shower, tons of stuff to do. So much to undertake. Fun to go outside or sitting in the kitchen: having a break with a yoghurt, fruit, some Lindt chocolate. Homework, emails, facebook and msn. Roller skating, table tennis. family over, a cousin. The girls' house is no longer a girls' residence. There's a boy around, a young adult. We didn't meet the last 1,5 year since a summer vacation in Rome. The girls changed and their cousin did too. It takes time to find a new constellation in the house. But after ten days all four seem settled and happy. It is a learning process, it's a social network. Their perceptions and what they attend of this long visit are not the same I suppose. They all want to spend time together, being a family for this period of time. Talks about his near future and steps to take to prepare an admission at university. Solange will be at this point in 4,5 years. Class of 2014. Seems unreal and yet so close. Growing up. We'll all go through this. So different, so great, unsure, all those questions. Choices to be made. Decisions to be taken. Family values, peers influences. Beautiful memories to remember of my own youth when I hear the stories of my nephew. Makes me thinking of ships that passed by. Life for these young people is bloody serious: live and enjoy every day is my shortest message. For me as his aunt it's a true challenge to have him around. The food allergies he's facing, are vegetable, fruit and nuts related. I need to find some clues: as tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis and eggplant are just not eatable for him. Our table is again a place to talk about the meals we can have. And reading Michael Pollan makes it obvious that we should have - mostly - plants for dinner. Tonight we'll share pumpkin quiche and beteraves salad with onions.
