What day is it? On vacations it’s never clear. Sunday? Tuesday? Does it matter?
I love vacation because it’s all of us together all the time. To some, this would be hell, but on vacation it means I’m no longer the lead parent. Now we can co-lead. Take turns. It also means I get quality time with each child at various points throughout the day.
On the bus between Disney Springs and our resort I sat next to my eldest and he described the world of the Mandalorian to me. This is a world I have tried to invest in. When he watches I sit with him for a few minutes. When he picks up a book about it I glance at the text inside. But only as I listen to him explain and ask more questions, tonight, am I really able to gain some ground on what it’s all about.
I sit next to my youngest on one of the rides today and he leans toward me and clasps my hand.
“We’ve got each other,” he says to me as we enter another dark tunnel.
My middle finds me on our walks between rides and grabs my hand as he skips beside me. The sun blinks down at us through passing clouds as Florida warms herself.
He tells me about a conversation he and his buddy had recently about how Dinosaurs really became extinct.
“We just can’t decide Mom,” he says, “it’s either the meteor strike or a volcano explosion.”
“You and your buddy chat about this when you’re playing together?” I say.
In my mind, six and seven year olds talk about games they’re playing or the next imaginary world they will create.
“This is what we talked about before we played Mom. We had a good chat.”
And my husband and I take moments. Glancing at each other; kissing each other with masks smooshing if we’re inside (kissing with masks on is a whole new level); holding each other’s hands across the backs of our boys as another ride takes us down a waterway.
What would life be like if we were always on vacation? Not as sweet. The rarity of weeks like these makes all of us close our eyes for a moment to savor, linger, capture, and appreciate.
It’s not over yet…
Embracing Next 