"Why It Matters"

For over twenty years our family, including my mom and dad, my sisters and their families, and my family,  have been doing a beach trip every summer.  This started mostly because when our children were young we were tight on money and my mom and dad generously offered to "treat" us to the house where we all stayed.  Not to mention that there was plenty of free babysitting, cousin time, and happy hour with the adults on the beach.  It was a "no brainer" and quickly turned into a much treasured tradition.   After the first two or three years my children never dreamed of going on a summer vacation again without their cousins to join them.  It just wasn't an option.  The trip has evolved over the years but there is one constant that always remains........we have to all stay in the same house.  We tried two houses, two condos, house/carriage house, but the grandchildren insisted on the same house, so, of course, that's what we do. There were 18 of us there this year.   We barely got back from the summer trip before my dad was planning the trip for the next year.  In fact, this year he tried to get me to discuss it for 2019 while I was enjoying my much needed break from being the "family planner" and I told him to please wait until we got finished with this year's vacay.  He obliged....but his wheels were turning.

For whatever reason.......I have been designated as the "trip organizer" for the family.  As you can imagine this isn't the job that most would take on.  Getting the dates together, the location selected, getting people to respond, and then making that work with the price.....it's enough for me to ask many many times....IS THIS WORTH IT!!!  DOES IT MATTER?  I'm not kidding.  My poor husband has heard my ranting many times and his reply is usually the same, "can you start planning a trip for us after Christmas, also????" 😧 Let me make this clear....nothing and I mean nothing makes me happier than to have my entire family on this summer trip.  With the kids now grown our week is full of laughs, memories, card playing, more memories, some tears, games, and even some shared happy hours with our grown up kiddos.  It is quite frankly, my heaven on earth.  Many people can't believe that our entire family, including new daughter and son-in-laws, and girlfriends, can all get along in the same house for a solid week.  I'll be honest.  The fact that we rent a huge house and everyone has "their space" and the fact that we all come and go as we please are major factors in the "getting along" process.  But, it really has never been a problem at all.  Just as we did when we were growing up, we all roll with the different personalities and routines and it works out. 

This year a "game changer" for me occurred.  Actually, two "game changers."  I don't have a lot of details on the first "gc" because we were just bystanders witnessing something that touched us all.  We stayed in a house that was directly next door to a house that is identical to it.  If we wanted to we could literally have a conversation with the people on the porch in the other house....it's that close.  We arrived on Saturday and noticed that about sunset the other family gently made their way to the beach and there was a woman who we thought to be about 80 trying to make her way down there.  She couldn't make it so the men carried her down the stairway to the beach to see the sunset.  We observed but obviously respected their privacy.  The next morning, Sunday, my sister went out early to run and there was an ambulance with no lights on in the drive.  The ambulance stayed awhile and we don't know what happened to this woman.  We do now know that she was only 59, had been suffering with cancer, and that someone had spread flowers along the beach.  The family left on Monday and we never knew what happened to her.  Game Changer...... Every time I glanced at that empty house throughout the week I reminded myself that yes, it's worth it....yes, it matters.  Is it worth the headaches and frustrations that it takes to plan our family trip every year?  YES!!!  A million times, YES!!!!

The second "gc" came when a few of my cousins and aunts came down to visit us for the day.  One of my cousins who joined us faced a critical health situation this past year and she almost died.  It was an unexpected health scare and there were countless prayers said for her recovery.  She did recover and was part of the group that joined us on the beach, along with  two of my mom's sisters.  As I watched them interact with my kids and all of the younger nieces and nephews I was taken back to the times that I was a little girl and we went on beach trips with all of our cousins. Those are some of the best memories of my childhood and a HUGE reason why I am still so close with my extended family.  As I watched these women laugh, talk, mentor, and listen to the younger ones I heard it in my head again.......Yes, it matters.  Yes, it's worth it.  Game changer.  

I've already booked our house for next summer.  My dad will turn 82 while we are there and my mom will be 80.  What I learned this year is that age doesn't matter.  The sweet lady next door to us was only 59.    You never know from year to year what life might send.  For me and for our family the answer is a hearty AMEN.....YES, it matters and it is most definitely worth it.

That's my story and I'm stickin to it.