An Ode to Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. CheeseHave you heard the news, friends?? With so much going on in the world right now, this piece of news can easily slip through the cracks, but it’s an important one to acknowledge, if only to say goodbye and give it a proper send-off: The iconic Chuck E. Cheese has filed for bankruptcy after 43 years!!!

Did you hear those collective sighs? They’re the sighs of nostalgia from us ‘80s and ‘90s kids. You know, the ones who grew up jumping and splashing and frolicking in ball pits, which seems really gross as adults, especially in light of COVID. The ones who played all the games so you could win all the tickets just to get a cheap plastic toy. The ones who ate slice after slice of pizza while that merry band of instrument-playing oversized animatronic animals sang such hits as “Celebration.” The ones whose parents become more dazed by each passing minute spent in this sensory overload fun center.

But those singing animals!!! That’s what I’d like to focus on in this ode because, let’s face it, they certainly typified the Chuck E. Cheese experience — even more so than the cheesy pizza, I’d dare say!! And as long as I’m taking a stroll down memory lane today, I suppose I should just admit a dark part of my past. You see, I was a wild child. An utter rebel, if you will. So what was my big, bad transgression??

Chuck E. CheeseWell, I…ummm…used to peek behind the curtain of those animals. Yes, in between sets, I got curious. I’d wonder what those animals were doing, so my dad would carry me close to the stage and ever so quietly, I’d pull back the curtain. There they were, big and tall and pretty lifelike!!! Looking back, I’m not exactly sure what I expected to find behind that curtain, but it was always such a thrilling moment. Every. Single. Time.

I should note that in doing research for this blog post, I learned that the animatronic band was retired in 2017 because “kids stopped watching the animatronic shows,” according to the company CEO Tom Leverton.

Are you kidding me? What’s the matter with kids today??

Anyway, that’s what I remember most about Chuck E. Cheese — fun, family time, huge animatronic animals and those carefree days of childhood. I mean, the fun center’s slogan was “Where A Kid Can Be A Kid” and the place sure lived up to its name, didn’t it?!?!?

My mom has some happy memories of her own from our time spent there, so I asked her to write a few thoughts — it took a little pleading, but she agreed!!! Here’s her stroll down memory lane…

Chuck E. CheeseChuck E. Cheese is a pizza place like no other. If you’ve been there, then you know just what I mean! We would take the girls there all the time when they were little, even though we had to drive an hour to get there. My husband Brian and I enjoyed playing Skee-Ball as much as the girls, and we would have quite the competitions!

One of the best times ever happened shortly after my sister and family moved up to Wisconsin. We were all missing each other something fierce, so we decided to each drive halfway and meet for lunch. So, we all arrived at Chuck E. Cheese and the kids were so happy to see one another. The kids played and we had lunch. Then, we were still so happy about being together that the kids played a little more. Well, by this time, the kids were hungry again and so we had dinner! Then they played some more. We finally realized how long we had been there when we walked out to the car to find it pitch black outside! We were there for over 7 hours!

This had to have happened over 30 years ago and we talk about it to this day.

Chuck E. CheeseMemories like that are precious. It was one of the best days of my life, which I know sounds weird, and I am thankful for the memory every time I think of it. It just goes to show you that when you are doing something, you never know when the ordinary will become the extraordinary. That’s the surprising thing about life…it’s unpredictable. Enjoy every minute!

P.S. For the most dedicated fans, check out this complete history of the pizza-and-games paradise!! And an ENTIRE ARTICLE all about the history of the animatronic band…

An Open Letter to the Fatherless on Father’s Day

FatherlessFor the last 17 years, the third Sunday in June has always been a hard day. And this year, that would be today. Father’s Day. Now, in a perfect world, we’d all be sharing a magical, love-filled, joyous day with our dads tomorrow, but there are far too many of us who are members of the club that no one ever wants to join: The Fatherless Club.

This open letter is for you. For all of us.

I haven’t been to the store in three months because of COVID and, honestly, I’m sort of glad about it, especially during the month of June. Ever year, I dread seeing the rows and rows of Father’s Day cards. And the Father’s Day mugs that cheerfully proclaim “Best Dad Ever.” And the Father’s Day shirts. And, well, Father’s Day everything. It’s all on display and it sort of feels like a knife to the heart every time I see it. It’s another reminder of my grief, of my loss, of the fact that I’m not going to be buying a gift for my dad.

Not last year.

Not this year.

Not next year.

Not ever again.

For people like us who live with this grief and missing our dads every day, Father’s Day feels like a neon sign making those feelings even more intense and palpable. It sends us down memory lane once again and we remember the memories that make us smile. For me, I remember summer days with my dad at the local pool and walking to his office to visit him during a hot June afternoon. I also remember he loved being a father — it was his favorite job and he was the best of the best.

FatherlessBut when you’re fatherless today, you also remember the not-so-happy times. You remember the final days (maybe even final moments) that you shared together. You remember all the things you wish you could have done differently — you know, the ones that still tend to keep you up at night no matter how many years have passed.

It’s those good and bad memories that you remember together. They sort of blend together like a patchwork quilt that tells all of your story. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last 17 years of being fatherless, it’s that you can’t help but feel all the emotions.

And guess what?

THAT’S PERFECTLY OKAY.

Let yourself feel today. Let yourself feel everything without judging yourself or thinking you’re a “bad” son or daughter for feeling the way you do. The worst thing we can do is ignore or deny our emotions. If you’re missing your dad today, miss him. If you’re angry at your dad today, be angry at him. If you just want to smile today, then go ahead and smile.

After all, there’s no playbook for this sort of thing. Trust me, I wish there was, but when you lose a parent, you just have to make up the rules as you go along. Do what’s right for you. Feel what’s right for you. And know that I’m here for you. For all of us just trying to navigate this life as a member of the club we never wanted to join… xoxo

P.S. My CNN op-ed from 2018 on the bittersweet nature of Father’s Day.

[Stencil by Poppy Chancellor]

How My Grandmother’s Spirit Is With Me on Her 99th Birthday

grandmotherMy grandmother would have turned 99 today!! She was the most wonderful woman, full of love, life, heart and kindness. She was only 80 when she died and I often wonder what she’d be up to now if she were still alive. Would she still have her vivacious energy? Would she still love to eat Skittles at the movies?

Those are the sorts of things I miss about my grandma — the little things, those personality traits that made her, well, her. Those were the things that made her such an individual and I miss her every day. I miss all the family stories she told. I miss our games of Scrabble and Monopoly, which she and I always played while my mom, sister and dad went down to the beach or to the movies. I miss hearing her say “Goodnight, Sweetheart” every night before bed. I miss her smile and her laugh and her warm hugs.

In her later years, she discovered her talent for painting and she’d spend afternoons upon afternoons sitting in front of an easel, her brushstrokes bringing colorful paintings to life. I sometimes wonder what went through her mind as she was deep in creative mode.

grandmotherMaybe she thought about her life and her family or maybe she thought about what painting she was going to paint next. Although, knowing how laid-back and chill my grandmother was, she probably remained in the moment and just relaxed — isn’t that a lesson for us all?

Today, her beautiful art hangs on our walls; in fact, she painted so often that each of her children have some of her work in their house. And it all sort of hit me this morning as I was thinking about her and her birthday: These paintings are a constant and comforting reminder that she’s still with us. Her spirit in alive in full color in each of her masterpieces and we’re so lucky to be able to feel her presence around us.

grandmotherEvery time we walked past one of her paintings, she’s with us. Each time we look at them, we’re reminded of her and the memories come flooding back.

Those memories mean so much to me, especially in the last 18 years since her death. She was one incredible lady who brought color and joy to the world — one memory and brushstroke at a time!! xoxo

Family Photos: I’ve Ventured Outside…to Our Patio

PatioWell, we’ve officially hit three months of quarantine!! That’s three months of bagel lunches and sleeping far too much and wondering every day about what was happening to our world. But look!! Today, I did something very special…I ventured outside to sit on our patio!!

I know this probably seems pretty small and, yes, in the grand scheme of things, it ranks low. After all, there are such big and heavy issues right now. Still, I’m proud of myself, especially since I’ve been in my house for almost 100 days; seriously, the only times I’ve left have been to either sit in the driveway or take a quick zoom around the block.

So I can’t help but consider this a win today! Not only did I get outside, but I woke up before noon! As my mom will tell you, me waking up before noon is a BIG DEAL. Like, a really, really big deal. This quarantine time has completely messed up my sleep schedule, but it was actually nice to be outside in the daylight hours for once!! We enjoyed a delicious snack of tomatoes and Diet Coke and it was refreshing to feel that warm sun!

When it comes to the art of relaxing, though, it’s my mom who has truly perfected it to a science! This hasn’t been easy for her because she’s active by nature and hates to even sit down for five minutes. Yet she’s adapted to our new slower normal and I’m so proud of her.

Here’s her take on all things patio lounging…

If you ask Melissa, she will tell you that I am not a sitting-on-the-patio type of person. But, something has happened to me with this recent stay-at-home thing. I’ve got myself into a nice little routine, and the surprising thing is that I am enjoying it!

I get up in the morning, shower and then eat when I look at the paper. Then I go out on my daily walk. I started these on March 14th, the day after we found out we were e-learning from home for the rest of the year. At the time, I was still feeling really bad from whatever I had in late February and I felt I had lost a lot of my strength, especially in my back. I think not swimming has caused a real tightening of those pesky back muscles. Anyway, for about the first month, I only walked about a mile each day. Then a funny thing happened…

Those walks started seeming too short. So, I picked up the pace and added some distance. I’m not where I want to be, but I’m farther than I was. Anyway, I digress.

Here is where the patio comes in. I come home from my walk, grab my one lonely 12-ounce can of Diet Coke (that’s all I get because of the caffeine), slice a tomato and head out to the patio, where I enjoy my snack (sometimes with a piece of Dove Dark Chocolate!).

PatioAnd, here is where it gets even more like the Twilight Zone….I read a novel. This is unusual for two reasons. First, I never read fiction during the day — no particular reason, but I don’t. And two, I’ve been reading really silly books that are similar to a Hallmark movie, which we have been watching too. What has happened to us? I think that the world is too much for us right now and we can’t think about it 24/7, so we take breaks with escapist things that make us smile. I’m sure I don’t want to do this forever, but right now it is hitting the spot!

And, I haven’t missed a walk or a patio session since March 14! Try it, you’ll like it!

Sorry, Hallmark…My Parents Had the Best Love Story

ParentsMy parents got married 42 years ago today. Wow, 42 years…can you believe that, friends?? To hear my mom tell the story, she and my dad exchanged vows on a warm summer evening, eager and excited to start their lives together. If you ask me, June 10th should be declared a national holiday because, honestly, we could all learn a lot from the love between my parents.

Their time together wasn’t nearly long enough, but their love story was more romantic than any Hallmark movie and more powerful than any ‘80s power ballad. They showed their love, not with big, sweeping romantic gestures like the ones you do see on those lovey-dovey Hallmark movies. Instead, you saw their love shine through in the everyday moments — those tiny pockets of reality that seem so mundane on the surface. Like when my dad rubbed my mom’s back every night. Like when my mom sat through every single Terminator movie even though that was the last thing she wanted to do.

These aren’t the sorts of moments you’d find in a rom-com, but then again, maybe that’s the entire point. Rom-coms are meant to be spectacular, but there’s just as much value and even more romance in living day-to-day with someone. Perhaps that’s even more special because you really get to know the person; I’ve never seen two people as bonded as my parents, two people who loved each other as if it was their wedding day every day.

ParentsThat kind of love is rare — it’s not something you can plan or even force. If it’s there, it’s there. And for my mom and dad, it was there.

I’m so grateful they got to experience it every day they were together and I wish they could spend their twilight years together. They both deserved that. More than any other two people in the entire world. I’m so grateful that I got to see what true love looks like because it is real and beautiful. You won’t find that in any Hallmark script, will you??? xoxo