I remember last year saying something about how "we traveled a lot" (which was true), but then realized it sounded so posh and stuck-up that I added something about how it was "just local" which made the situation even more awkward.

My family has been very lucky. Our vacation has been lots of fun. We've been fortunate enough to go to lots of shows, like Peter Pan and Funundrum, with the aforementioned amazing Southern California trip to start off the summer. The kids have done extremely well during their swim lessons, learning to do more chores at home, and becoming more "mature" with their behavior. Sure, they beat each other up as brothers do at times, and there have definitely been moments of stubborn defiance and other "teenagery" things coming from my grade-school pipsqueaks, but overall they've been fabulous.

But I don't want to jinx it.

Meanwhile, a lot of my friends are going through tough times. A lot. Divorce, miscarriage, surgery, loss, ... the list can go on. I recognize their pain, and am thankful that I'm not experiencing it. I don't want to seem flippant when I admit that everything is totally fine - and even fabulous - in my life. It just isn't fair. Plus (as I knock heavily on wood) the worry never stops. Will this school year be good for my boys? I have questions about the teachers that my kids might get: one particular fourth-grade teacher makes me very nervous. I know how much the right environment means for school success. Last year was amazing for both of them: can our luck remain?

I definitely don't want to borrow trouble. Why worry when everything is grand? But I suppose it is in my nature to always look a step ahead - to recognize that things are not always so smooth, and that becoming complacent is a mistake.

I would love to tell people how relieved I am that things are good. After all, for years my worry was all-consuming. There was always something in our path upon which to stumble. I want to tell people how hard I tried even when I failed. I want to share our stories to hopefully give comfort and guidance to those who are in the thick of conflict right now. But neither boasting nor complaining does any good within the social dance of polite conversation.

It may seem like a simple question: "How have you been?" - but the way to answer it truthfully is so much more complex. Nonetheless, I'll shrug my shoulders, smile, and say, "Great! Our summer was great. What did you do?" and leave it at that.