The Reele Family Christmas Letter

Dear Friends:

First of all, let me just apologize off the bat for calling this a “Christmas” letter.  If you are offended by my labeling this letter based on how we celebrate this season, feel free to scan this and shame us all on social media.

Whew!  Where do I begin!  What has been happening in the Reele Household since we last communicated via texts and emails and the occasional tag?

Well, some of you may have seen my Facebook postings making vague mention (I believe that’s called vaguebooking) of the trials and tribulations of raising teenagers.  You may be happy to know that we have turned that corner a bit, and Johnny Jr. managed to secure a job long enough to earn money to replace the two tires he blew out in the week after getting his license.  It took a bit of cajoling easing him out of bed on weekends to pack groceries, but he did it!  Go Johnny!!  And it looks like the “circumstances” which caused the tire damage will only be a temporary mark on his criminal record.  

We are so proud of the resiliency Johnny has developed during this experience.  We know that not only will this help him in life, but we are certain he will put this life skill to use competing on the varsity squad in our quest to have him gain a scholarship playing on an ivy league Ultimate Frisbee team someday.

Hannah is really working on trying not to roll her eyes every waking minute of the day. Oh, she tries so hard!  We have a little family “sign” when she begins to look upwards, and so far I think it’s working!  When she’s not pseudo-shopping online at places we can’t afford, Hannah likes to spend her time monitoring social media on the lookout for all the events and get-togethers that did not include her.  

I am so blessed to be here so she can avail herself to me, so I may absorb all her teenage angst and lay awake at night contemplating how this will affect her uncertain future.  Hey!  Ain’t nobody binge watches “The Good Wife” in the wee hours of the morning like the mother of a 14-year-old girl who enjoys using her mother as a trash container for all her emotional mishegas!  (Please don’t be offended by my usage of a Yiddish word during the week before Christmas.)

Guess what?  John Sr. has been replaced by a robot at work!  It seems that all his fine skills he learned at Purdue’s School of Engineering and then honed on the job these past 25 years can now be done by a robot!  Fascinating , huh?  His company was purchased by a conglomerate in Bhutan that had its origins in the distribution of self-help Buddhism-based materials to the Western World.  In any event, the new owner (a former monk) offered John a lesser position that would entail him watching the robots that are now doing his job, but John felt that his area of expertise, “Eddy Current Signal Response Using  COMSOL Multiphysics,” would not be best put to use sipping Artisan coffee and watching robots.  Onward!  

So far, he’s put out some feelers and the only thing that’s turned up is a greeter at the local Apple Superstore.  They offered him an additional role as Manager of Year-Old Recycled iPhone Collections, but he’s persevering. We look forward to all the support you will tweet and text us in the coming year.  We are nothing without the social media support of all our friends.

Finally, there’s me.  In this world full of sin, evil and micro-aggression, I try to look through my own personal lens of FWP.  What is FWP, you ask?  Well, I put my bellyaching to the First World Problem test (well aware that my husband’s company was acquired by a developing country conglomerate.)  We have clear running water to wash the endless mountains of laundry and scrub the filthy toilets.  We have a roof over our heads to contain all the mindless clutter formed by years of going to Target for “just paper towels.”  We are blessed to live in the United States, home of, well, just home.

Is there a robot to replace me?

Yours in solidarity,

Ima Reele