When I was a little kiddle VACATION was one of my favorite words. Vacation meant camping, Disneyland, the beach, grandma's house...the possibilities were endless and always exciting to think about and prepare for. Like pizza on Friday nights, vacations never seemed like a bad idea. Now, as a mother with small children, vacation isn't always a happy thought. Just as pizza is no longer my first choice of food on a Friday night, vacations don't always sound like a good idea. Not to sound negative but I now understand why my parents were happy to return home after a long week away in a motor home, tent, van, with three young children and the dog. I now know why my mom seemed exasperated while preparing to leave and why my dad and her usually spent the first ten minutes in the car reviewing the mental checklist of things forgotten and reassuring one another that they didn't really need to bring that item after all. I now understand the behind the scenes activities that accompany preparing for take off...even if it is just a road trip.
Today, as my own family prepared for such a trip I took a moment to learn a lesson from my oldest little girl. I was on the deck, soaking the flower buckets and checking on the tomatoes when I heard my Lily playing. She was on the front stairs with a few toys, a couple stuffed animals and a bucket of dog food that she added a couple of cups of water to in an effort to make soup for her stuffed pets. She was giggling and singing and telling her toys all about our exciting adventure to come. I just stopped for a moment and listened. It was like traveling back in time. I immediately felt seven years old, barefoot standing on the warm summer driveway in the evening, watching my dad pack the car, day dreaming of all the possibilities that lay ahead. For a moment I felt the care free excitement of childhood that allows one to truly experience all that life has to offer, free from the stress and worry that adulthood brings.
For a moment it was nice to see the world through the eyes of my little girl. And you know what? Life looks pretty sweet through her eyes.
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