Two years ago, right after starting this blog, I took my mother to the beach with my cousin. Before that, it had been over 10 years since I had a trip with my mother. I always traveled with my son, a significant other, or friends. When my mother would ask about going on vacation together, I was busy with life and just like in the song Cat's In The Cradled, responded :
"I don't know when
But we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then."
In this empty nest period
even though you're still a parent to your child, it's like retirement because your child is now an adult and busy with
his/her life. My mother turned 80 this year! It’s time to try a new kind
of vacation, one with my mother. But we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then."
Reflection
I have childhood memories of going to the beach every year. We would arrive at 9am and not leave
until 5pm, eating our lunch on the beach and riding the waves. This time we arrived a little later and left a little earlier but I saw the
same love for the beach in my mother’s eyes and her joy swimming in the salt water without
knee pain.
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| Mom loving her swim |
We laughed about having to
find a special big wheeled chair to push her on the long beach and how this
chair was a “man magnet.” My mom
met a bunch of men who came to our rescue like " knights in shining armor"
when I struggled to push the thing in the sand.
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| Our beach transport |
My father said just the other
day, “time goes faster as you get older”. Thus, I recommend slowing it down by taking
some time with your parents and even trying a trip with them. It might not be a
fast paced vacation with all that hustle
and bustle but it’s well worth having new special memories with the people who
love you the most- your parents. Love you mom!
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| Mom getting a push from some eye candy ;) |
Spiritual Reflection
Then he [Jesus at age 12] returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them [parent's];and his mother stored all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:51)
Other Sources
Bradenton Florida http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/bradenton.htmllisten to Cat's In The Cradle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUwjNBjqR-c