Holiday in February
Well this was and is a totally new experience for us as a family. We've never holidayed in February before, however this year my wife and I agreed that we would not exchange Christmas gifts, but would instead put the money aside and get away for a few days while the kids were on midterm break.
We never told the kids and just picked them up from school, so if you could see their little faces here, they would speak 1000 words!! They were beyond excited!
Then in true Irish style, we bumped into my cousin and her daughter at the airport and wouldn't you know it, they were off to Malaga too, small world! We will meet up with them at some stage during the week.
View over Dublin
I had a window seat, so I took a few auld snaps out the window to show you guys some of Dublin from the air.
Industrial estates, housing estates, green fields, motorways and golf courses - sums it up pretty well actually, oh and as you can see we flew Ryanair. It was one of their newer planes, which they have reconfigured with the toilets now at the very back. Guess why they did that? Yep, that's right! To squeeze in even more seats, if there is one thing Michael O'Leary and Ryanair love, it's extracting money and taking the piss.
Above the Clouds
One of my favourite things about flights is the view down over the clouds.
The feat of engineering to get these big heavy vessels into the sky never ceases to amaze me. Would they ever have even thought it was possible were it not for birds and bees flying through the skies of the 1800s and 1900s? I suspect not, but you can ponder that question as you look at these clouds.
Sunset from a height
As we neared our destination in the South of Spain, my son brought my attention to the beautiful sunset outside, these photos don't do it justice.
Snow covered Peaks
Reflection
So what has all of this got to do with Reflections? After all that is the community that I choose to post in, well the February holiday with my family got me thinking about how lucky I am and how much that I have to be greatful for.
Let's face it, not everyone has the means to take a foreign holiday in February. I work hard and I am in a job that pays well. None of this happened by accident. Firstly I was lucky enough to be born into a loving and caring family where I was given room and support to grow in whichever direction I wanted. Education was always valued and my five sisters, two brothers and I were all given the chance to go to University and seven from eight did just that, I studied Engineering for four years and as a result I got a decent job and have progressed along over the past fifteen years.
So that foundation that my parents laid for me allowed me to build a stable and happy life where I now have a beautiful wife, three fantastic kids, a good career and our own house (which we don't fully own yet, but we are getting there with the mortgage).
Not everyone gets that foundation and I can imagine growing up in an unstable home would give one a much less secure personal foundation.
Those who did not get the love that I did,.may have a tougher time progressing in life or those who got the love but whose families hadn't the means to give them a great education may also struggle.
With this in mind, we always tell our boys how much we love them and will give them every opportunity to have a secure foundation upon which they can build their lives. University will not be compulsory, but will be actively encouraged, with finances put aside so that all three of our boys can pursue professional careers. Of course should they opt for a trade like a Chippy, Sparks etc that will be encouraged too.
So long as they are happy and are forming that good solid foundation and have good moral compasses, our job as parents will be done.
Right then, that's my reflection for now, until next time, mind yourselves.