This one is for those who have hesitated to take a family vacation, maybe because of money, children’s behavior, or any other reason. She had only one piece of advice: “Take the trip.”
A few years back, she had attended a funeral visitation. She remembers walking to a casket and bumping into a grieving husband, friend, and father.
He left her and her husband with some advice that they could live their life off.
He told them that no matter what they do or say, they, as a family, need memories because that’s what stays with them forever.
Something they can remember and feel good about.
He told them how important it is to take every trip they ever thought of going with their kids, every single one of them, which you as a family talked about. He even said that it does matter. Even if they needed to put some decent money on the card, they should pay it back eventually, but they shouldn’t miss out on the trip.
He advised them to take the trip, even for a few days,
He urged them to take every journey and realize that memories truly matter; they are all we are left with.
He made her realize how money could be made again, but once your child’s childhood is gone, it’s gone.
On one of their family trips, they laughed, had fun, had little sleep but weren’t tired, and watched their kids making sand angels during family pictures. As their toddlers were exhausted and their sleeping schedule was disturbed at some point, she and her husband nearly lost their minds.
But none of these mattered as they took a more precious thing with them; the memories and moments were irreplaceable.
Her kids had experienced and seen things they couldn’t witness in their home, such as sea turtles, crabs, fish, and sting rays.
At one point, she saw three manta rays swim within inches of her husband and her 4-year-old. For her, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Hearing her children laugh repeatedly as they revisited their memories and relived the moments meant more to her than anything.
She often told the parents to take the trip, and the length of the vacation was the last thing to worry about. Even a small amount of time spent together could leave a lasting impact.
Time has always been uncertain, and no one knows what’s gonna happen in the future.
That’s why she advised me to take the trip whenever I could.
