Meet the McMillans pt. 1

This is part one of a series following the relatable lives of the McMillan family. Stay tuned as they journey through life and strive to find the periods of retreat that strengthen them for everyday life.

Paul and Kate McMillan were high school sweethearts and married the day after they graduated from the same university. Just a few years later, they had their first child. Today, they are an average family living in the heart of America—Lawrence, Kansas.

In a modest neighborhood, Paul and Kate return home from work tired and ready to relax. But as they enter their foyer they hear excited chatter and high-pitched squeals and see their dream of a relaxing evening evaporate under the reality of family life with two teenage daughters.

Bridget is 17 and Carrie is 14. They are good kids for the most part. They get good grades, help around the house when forced to and have never been escorted home by the law. Not exactly “the dream teens” but Paul and Kate know it could be so much worse and actually really do love their kids in spite of frequent and ample doses of overdramatic teen angst.

Both Paul and Kate work full-time. Paul is a tenured professor of biology at Kansas University—the McMillan alma mater. As an experienced RN, Kate runs the only—and therefore incredibly busy—pediatric physician’s office in town.

Above and beyond the usual 50-hour work week, Paul and Kate attend all of the school basketball games to watch Bridget cheer and never miss one of Carrie’s debate matches. While work and kids are both fulfilling, they are also exhausting.

As Kate finishes the supper dishes that evening, pandemonium breaks out upstairs. From the tones and decibel levels, Kate knows she is now obligated to give the “don’t take your sister’s stuff without asking” speech for the millionth time and diffuse yet another blown-out-of-proportion teen argument. But before she can even trudge up the first step, Paul returns from the store with even worse news—his car died a block from home. Kate sends Paul upstairs to mediate as she arranges to have the car towed to the repair shop.

An hour later after the girls retreat to separate corners to do homework, Paul and Kate collapse on the couch to relish at least five minutes of peaceful rest. Ha! Bridget chooses this moment to shout down the stairs that she needs two dozen cupcakes for her cheerleading squad’s bake sale tomorrow. And in usual fashion, with memory triggered by Bridget’s announcement, Carrie remembers that she needs 200 index cards for debate practice tomorrow.

With a sigh, Kate returns to the kitchen and Paul heads for the garage. As Kate gathers the ingredients for cupcakes, Paul hops in Kate’s car only to realize the lights have been left on and the battery is dead. With head hung low and shoulders slouched, Paul returns to the kitchen and simply states “Kate, we need a vacation.”

To be continued....