Recently my family and I vacationed in North Myrtle Beach to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday! It was an awesome time for our families and we are so blessed to still have both our parents alive and well.
Being with my family is such a special time for me. With my sister in Atlanta and my brother living a few towns away, it's not often that we can all get together. This timing was extra special of course because of my dads birthday, but also because we were able to have all but one, of our eleven combined children with us and a couple significant others.
Time goes by fast. And the reason I love family vacations is because it forces me to push pause on the busy world around me, and enjoy the time with the people I love. Most days are so crazy, its hard to think straight, and although I check in with my parents regularly, there are many times I should stop what I'm doing and be more intentional about my time with them.
Most often when I return from a vacation, I feel refreshed from the inside out! And as I get older, I'm continually reminded of how important it is to take the time to enjoy even the smallest moments with my family. The reality is, I don't have to take a trip to be fully engaged with the people around me. I just need to slow down, and prioritize my life, so I don't miss out on the wonderful things happening in my everyday, like my dad turning 80!
This milestone birthday was such a big deal for me, I think because when I look at him, he's still looks the same to me as he did when I was little. I don't notice his gray hair and deep wrinkles around his eyes, instead, I see the same face I saw as a child, and the same kind, quiet, funny and humble man, that I've always loved. To me he doesn't age. His sister softly told him, "Your only 80 years old, your as young as you feel! And although I do believe that's true, I can't predict the future and how he'll be or feel 3 years or even 6 months from now. I can, however, slow down and make the time I do have left with him and my mom, a bigger priority than I currently do.
I am busy, having a husband and four kids contributes to that. Being busy is a real thing in my household. Like most women, I have laundry, house keeping, work, sporting events, carpooling, and the list goes on. And that's just it, the list keeps going on. What I need to do is put down my list of future tasks and pick up the present moments when I can, before the times passes and I'm the one turning 80 years young...
