Stuck in the middle.

This past Sunday I had to perform for Likha while Isaac, Tina, and her family spent the day at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. As they returned, I went downstairs to greet 'em. At the base of the stairs, I see Tina's dad bringing Isaac down the hallway on my right. On my left, I see Tina coming in through the front door.

At that moment I was torn...who do I greet first???

So my initial reaction was to turn right and rush over to greet little Isaac. But as I took that first step, my inner voice and heart said, "go to Tina first". So my first step became a pivot step. I spun around and went to kiss Tina hello. Then together, we went to check on Isaac.

But it does bring up some crazy questions on our own little family dynamic. In the scheme of love, do I love Isaac as I love Tina? I know it's different, but how? Heaven forbid, but what if I came across the dreaded Spider-Man scenario. Suppose little Isaac is stuck in a dangling trolley car while the Green Goblin is threatening to throw Tina off the brigde. It seems silly, but it does speak to the new adjustment in our relationship.

I have given this some thought and my work-in-progress musings are thus:
(**warning**: for you queasy readers, prepare to wallow through some sappiness)

Tina and I chose to love each other unconditionally. It's a lifelong commitment from which sprouts the little miracle Isaac. When Isaac and his future siblings are out of the nest and on their own, there will still be Tina and I. So when it comes down to it, my love for Isaac is part of OUR love for Isaac.

(**endofsap**)

I know that this can't be a cookie-cutter solution because there are all kinds of family units out there: single parents, divorced parents, married parents who just aren't feeling each other anymore, etc.

But it fits for our little part of the world.