More to learn!

Lessons from family vacation...

1. Forget the expression “I’ll never see these people again!”
     So, I’m used to letting the dog, Snickers, out in the backyard when he wakes up in the morning. Beach Condo = No fenced yard. So, I debated getting dressed first, but being in full vacay mode, I walked the dog in my pajamas thinking “I’ll never see these people again!” Funny, my friend and coworker happened to be staying about four houses away with his family. Be who you are, forget about who is looking.

2. Even if it clobbers you a time or two, it might be worth it!
     My daughter loves Stand-Up Paddle Boarding. She’s been very successful at it in the large lake near our house. We rented one for her to try at the beach, and the waves are different. She got clobbered. Like really clobbered. Like she cried, had a headache, saw stars, had a bruised face the next day...clobbered. She was scared, but she loves it. I pushed her to go again because I know she loves it. She needed her mom or dad with her to muster the courage, but she did it. And she had a ball. Sometimes the things we love beat us down a bit. Sometimes we need a trusted soul to come along to face that which clobbered us again. But if we truly love it...it’s worth it!

3. True change requires a conscious effort.
     In my first post, I talked about shifting my focus to making moments count. That seems so simple, but for someone who gets bogged down in the planning and details, it can be very tough. Even on vacation, I had to stop, take a deep breath, and DECIDE to have no plan for the day. My husband, who has known me over 25 years, looked at me in absolute shock when I said I had no plan for the day. My 12 year old daughter expressed true concern to her father...”Mom really has no plan? What about dinner???” It takes effort for some of us to have no plan. Guess what? The day went fine, and my daughter had dinner.