The other week, I packed up the family and we took a week long trip out of town since my son is out of school for Fall break. It has been some of the most fun filled days I've had in a really long time. This time has made me realize how much we tend to take the ones we love the most for granted.
You gotta have Tv's for 5 hours on the road!
I find myself repeating this phrase in my head over the past few days. I've been able to leave my phone, laptop, and TV's behind which has allowed me to reflect how I've been living my life. Time on vacation is slower and it's been nice to sit and chat with my 5 and 3 year old. Back home, in the hustle and bustle of work, kid sports, and everyday stuff you really don't have time (or neglect) to due so. We tend to neglect what it is really important, each other.
One huge thing I've noticed is I waste precious time scrolling through the news, Reddit, Instagram, and of course now...Steem. Why? Is there anything really that interesting out in the World Wide Web that is more important than what my kids want to do? Of course not! But we do it everyday, wasting away precious time that we'll never get back with the one's we love. It's crazy that in 2017, we have more computer power in our pockets that it took to launch the first mission to the moon. They're addicting and I feel like it's draining away my soul slowly day by day, hour by hour.
For our first family vacation, it turned out really well. The kids were worn out each night and it gave my wife and I a little time to sit on the porch of our condo and sip some local Tennessee wine. Pigeon Forge has about a dozen wineries which specialize in unique and interesting wine. We visited about 4 different wineries and took a bottle home each night. It was exciting sitting there, enjoying our wine, reminiscing about what we did that day and planning for the next. I wish the kids would remember this trip as we did, but with them being so young, I think it is more likely my wife and I will cherish it as our first family vacation.
Vacationing is hard!
Often times, we find ourselves getting bent out of shape over stuff that really doesn't matter, at all.... This trip has made me aware of this oh so frightfully. Kids spilling a drink in the house, person cuts you off on the interstate, or your favorite sports team loses. All of these really do not contribute to your overall quality of life but we find ourselves getting furious! It was nice not having a care in the world, if only for a week. It's times like this which I wish I could bottle up and save forever. Let's not allow ourselves to be affected trivial things. Remember our time here is short and make the best of it
At the end of my life, I don't want to have any regrets or missed opportunities with my family. This trip brought that more into focus and help me realize there are improvements I need to make in order to be more available. Maybe I might not work so hard or maybe I'll be more spontaneous. If you have a family ask yourself, can I be doing better? Chances are, you can be.
