Ten extensions and lessons

1. Homes have extensions. My dad and his pals built our enclosed back porch.  That addition increased the value of the house and our enjoyment of the outdoors. This extension was a place to gather and relax and showcased my father’s skills.
2. Some furniture can grow. One window opened into the porch. In there, the dining room table was often extended to accommodate a larger group. Those extensions celebrated my mother’s culinary and entertaining abilities.
3. Specific tools need to reach farther. I’m on the hunt for one of those gizmos with a long handle and a squeegee on the end so I can wash the windows outside. Other tools with extensions, like ladders, make work easier.
4. Communication systems connect.  “If you know your party’s extension you may dial it at any time.” Because my dad worked at the phone company we had a telephone in almost every room and in every color. Phone extensions link us and provide safety.
5. Property lines widen. In winter we neighborhood kids could expand our ice skating area across several backyards with some forethought and permission to spray water strategically. That extension of property brought fun.
6. Work and deadlines might shift. When I was self-employed the words “we would like to extend your contract” provided security, boosting my ego and bank account. Extending a due date can lead to better results.
7. Bodies can improve. Amputees are fitted for prosthetics that extend to the correct length and provide functionality. Skilled stylists weave additions onto hair. Part of physical fitness training, particularly for dancers, is extension exercises. There are machines that focus on extension to strengthen, build, and tone specific leg and arm muscles.
8. Life can be prolonged. One hard part of being an adult is making the necessary plans to ensure that our wishes are followed as we ponder if and how we want our lives to be extended, our death to be postponed.
9. Childrearing equals self-perpetuation. I’ve known and experienced a parent who believes a child is an extension of themselves. While this may be true on many levels, it is the separation, the allowing of children to grow and step away that truly develops both the parent and the child.
10. Definitions expand. With words like ‘blended’ and ‘extended’ and ‘family of the heart’ we find acceptance and a network of support.

The legacies we are presenting to the next generation are more than heirlooms. We are also leaving the impact of the intangibles: things like safety, fun, skill development, acceptance, support, loving words and gestures that extend both the giver and receiver’s sense of self, worth, and belonging. So, at the end of his list, I guess the best extensions are a hand for greeting and arms open, ready for a hug.

 

Marilyn