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Part of the reason we have such a nice
time together is because there is room for
everyone to do what they want. Some will
do a sport while some will be reading.
Others will swim or go for walks. Some
will be sleeping; some will be eating. On
these trips, you know that you have
people there who love you, but you’re
also allowed to do your own thing. We’re
not clingy. If activities are organized, you
can join in—or sit out. If you want to spend the time on your phone,
that’s okay. If you want to be on your laptop, that’s okay, too.
At sunset, Kaye goes for a swim on her own. She can swim for
three hours a day; she’s a great swimmer. She doesn’t care if
anybody’s with her or not. I will sometimes follow her, but she swims
much faster than I do. And after thirty minutes, I’m tired, but she
just keeps on going. She just glides through the water.
Sometimes we’ll go and visit the nearby towns. Whoever wants to
go, does. Or we’ll arrange dinner at a restaurant and try to fit forty in.
One evening, all forty of us turned up for dinner. All the grandkids
were running around and screaming, and there was so much noise.
I said to Kaye, “I can’t bear the noise anymore.”
She said, “Me, too!”
We took sandwiches and walked down to the beach. We sat alone
and watched the sea and had a peaceful evening together.
• • •
Sometimes it’s just me and my kids and their kids. The Thanksgiving
just after Tosca’s twins were born, we were planning to spend the
holiday at Elon’s home.

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SpaceX was launching a rocket, and Elon wanted us all there, so I
got an email the night before saying, “Flights are booked tomorrow
morning to fly to Orlando.”
I called Tosca to tell her, but she was already asleep. I managed to
get hold of the nanny, and I said, “You’ve got to go to Tosca’s condo,
and wake her at six a.m., because at seven a.m., she has to get to the
airport for the flight.”
You can imagine how frantic we were with all these last-minute
travel plans. We had the two little babies with us, who were howling.
For those hours, we were trying to comfort them and looking
apologetically at all the passengers around us.
When we got to Orlando, we all took a bus to the launch at Cape
Canaveral. We had takeout turkey dinner with everybody in the
NASA building.
• • •
I enjoy having a close family, as we can trust each other at all times
and look to each other for support. We have been through many hard
times, but we’ve stuck together. That is really special. Sometimes
people tell me that their families are nasty. I don’t believe it until I
meet them and I see how they continuously throw insults at each
other. I think about my ex-in-laws. It was a screaming match at every
meal. I don’t know how you change that other than not spending
time with your family. If you have a family that makes you unhappy,
find friends who make you happy and make you smile. If your family
can’t be there for you, friends can certainly support you in the good
times and the bad times.
When we take care of each other, everyone benefits.

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