Mitzvah

The plans to road trip to Atlanta for my niece's Bat Mitzvah have been in the works since February. We were all vaccinated, and the idea that we might actually gather together as a family for such an important event was exciting and irresistible. So Bill and Emily and Heidi and I made a plan to rent a place, throw the dogs in a minivan, and drive south for a long weekend in April.

And we would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for...

• the dog-friendly rental house, just around the corner from my sister's, canceling us the day before we were set to leave.
• my sister's dog, Panda, blowing out her ACL so that no dogs could visit her, also right before we left.
• the neighbors who complained about Lucy barking and then stood by the door, recording her barking at them, getting us evicted from the place we found on short notice.

All of these things added a lot of stress to our trip. But there were kindnesses along the way, too:

• my sister's friends who kept the dogs all day so that we could attend the ceremony, pack everything up, and go to lunch.
• the rental agent who evicted us, but also found us another place to stay for the remainder of our lease.

What a crazy few days it has been for us! But luckily? 

This weekend is not about us.