El Foro of Love

Apparently my sister received a Valentine’s Day gift of a small stuffed bull, that when you pulled the string said, “I am El Toro of Love”. So Foro appropriated it, naturally. He is the Foro of Love.

I’m visiting my family and it’s just lovely. Some of it’s a bit hard to do, because like many people I’m addicted to my schedule and hate when it’s disrupted, but so far this trip I’ve kept up with some of it at least. I’ve managed ten minutes of meditation in the morning, some exercise every day and yoga. That’s even a bit more than the absolute minimum that I like to fit in so I’m actually not doing that badly. That little bit of routine makes me happier and calmer.

Family is a funny thing. Some things we know so much about each other and other things so little. I was tired in the car coming my sister’s house so I looked up one of those ‘road trip questionnaires’. Some of the questions I can’t even ask — ‘what was your biggest accident?’ ‘Who was your first friend?’ I know all that about my sister. So we have to go for things like ‘what would you like as a superpower?’ or ‘what historical era would you like to live in?’ That sort of question works. Conversation makers. Ways to pass the time. Ways to share and learn about each other.

I have more friends and family to catch up with but I’ve got another week so hopefully I’ll manage to fit everyone in.

It’s both exhausting and replenishing, if that makes any sense. I guess that’s the definition of family, in the end. They empty you out and fill you up at the same time.

I think that family visits are like swimming, for me. It’s something I like to have done more than I like doing it, but I feel great afterwards and I know it’s good for me.

Helps traveling with the Foro of Love.