I saw the future last night. Normally, we have one Passover Seder at home and one with cousins. Last night was the at-home Seder. Normally, the at-home Seder is just immediate family. But our family is beginning to expand. Not much yet really but still, I see it coming. Last night it was us and Kat�s boyfriend, B-O-Y.

On the cooking front, I felt a bit more pressured than usual. Passover cooking is a bit elaborate. It�s hard to satisfy two vegetarians and some omnivores with all of the food restrictions. Kat doesn�t do vegetable soup but she loves chicken broth. I made two soups (with one set of matzah balls). I didn�t do it totally from scratch as I have occasionally done because there were two soups and I had spent part of the day campaigning but I did make the matzah balls from scratch. I had hard-boiled eggs for Day-Hay and turkey for Kat and B-O-Y. Mr. Philately and I even had competition for the vegetables. B-O-Y likes asparagus.

On the group feeling, it was very satisfying. B-O-Y quickly adapted to slightly different traditions although I think all the singing was a bit overwhelming. But if he is going to continue to hang out with Kat, he might as well know now about her habit of spontaneously breaking into harmony. He already knew that she loves to sing. He and Day-Hay were sitting across the table from each other and it got to the point that they could not look at each other without giggling. Having Day-Hay truly included made me glad we had invited him.

The hard part is looking across the table and realizing that the same forces that expanded our table last night could just as easily shrink it. Someday Kat (and later Day-Hay) may have to split their nights, one with us and one with the family of a boyfriend or spouse. Time may take them so far that they won�t be home at all and it will be just Mr. Philately and me.

The kids are growing up. Holidays are changing. Time marches on�and all those cliches. I�m starting to see the future and it�s both scary and wonderful. Passover has been a lot of things in my life but never before has it been a crystal ball.

A Seder table and a glimpse of the future, all in one night.

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