This weekend, the New York Times printed paper included a special puzzle section, which had about a dozen pages filled with puzzles (word, number, picture) of various kinds. I love puzzles, so I was delighted to spend my rainy Sunday working the mega crossword that held the place of honor at the center. First of all, it’s enormous (if you don’t know, a typical Sunday puzzle – which is bigger than the daily – usually has around 120 clues; this one has 629!!). Solve the puzzle, then use a particular clue and answer to solve a secondary puzzle embedded within? Yes, please! And to top it all off and make this Enneagram SP 3 super happy, it’s part of a contest. Cherry on top!!

The only puzzle I completed on Sunday was that big one (it did take up most of the day). I kept that whole section on the table during the week so I could work the other puzzles in the morning (and, if I’m honest: since the open paper took up so much room on the table, it joined us for dinner every evening). Each day, I’d open the paper to a different spread and it would sit there for all the meals. Before you judge me for doing word puzzles at meals, I will point out that my two teenagers actively engaged in the puzzles, too, so it was really fun.

I had been feeling a bit separated from my kids, even though we all live together. Maybe it’s because we’re all trying to eke out our own space during covid restrictions. Maybe we’re all a bunch of introverts. Whatever it is, working the puzzles together felt like coming home again. Good times. Thank you, New York Times.