Tara’s Takes
I am positive that growing up I did PLENTY of things to annoy my parents. If you ask them, they could probably give you a list that would last until the new year. It’s part of growing up, kind of a right of passage — annoying your parents.
Right now, if you have any kids ages 6 to probably 26, you are probably very aware of the 6, 7 trend. No, I have no idea what it means. Yes, it annoys the crap out of me. Especially when you hear it 20 times in an hour. This has truly become a love/hate relationship for me and one I’ve decided someday I’m going to look back at it and laugh.
First, Natalie and Brady are very close, so having him away at college is tough. But they are in constant communication with daily texts and Snapchats and FaceTime calls often. One of the ways is sending each other random 6, 7 photos of things they find throughout the day. If Brady’s watching a sport and the score is 67, Natalie gets a photo. If I’m driving and I hit 67 on my speed (on the interstate of course), Natalie is sending Brady a photo. It is amazing how often we come across 6, 7 in our daily life if we look for it.
Secondly, Per loves to help the kids get under my skin. So yes, I am very aware that they specifically change how or what they are saying to me to be able to say 6, 7. While it gets under my skin, it is a bonding activity they seem to enjoy.
And while hearing 6, 7 over and over has run its course in my book, there is a certain side of it that I’m learning to appreciate. That is the connection it is making between people. Consider it the way we wave at passing cars in Minnesota.
Last week, Natalie’s choir at Holy Redeemer School was selected to sing as part of a concert at St. Thomas University. It was a huge honor for them. They learned their songs and headed to the Cities for rehearsals. For dinner, they ate in the dining hall at the university. There were a couple of college guys in front of them and they sat near the group during the meal. Now, college kids can be intimidating to a bunch of middle-schoolers, but to break the ice, the guys just looked at the table of kids and did the 6, 7 hand motion. Which, of course, relaxed the kids and was returned with their own 6, 7 and a lot of laughs.
On Monday, the SMSU men’s basketball team hosted a student day for a day game. It was a great way to give the kids a game day experience and get fans in for a 1 p.m. Monday game. The Mustangs dominated the game which could have gotten a little boring for a gym full of elementary and middle school kids. However, with the Mustangs up 66-43, Mekhi Shaw stepped to the free throw line and made the score 67-43. The entire R/A facility erupted in 6, 7 from every school in attendance. Even the players were doing the 6, 7 for the kids. The video of the moment is pretty fun to watch.
The thing is, it is a single moment that connected all of those kids from all of the schools in attendance as well as the players. It brought a surge of excitement.
So yes, the 6, 7 is getting on my nerves, too. But it’s innocent. It’s fun for the kids and it’s much better than some of the things kids could be saying to each other.
I will continue to tell Natalie “enough” when it has been too many times that day. But I’m also going to laugh when she gets excited to send her brother another 6, 7 photo from that day or when she connects with someone without even saying the words, just the hand signal and a smile.
We could use a lot more of that.
