Special Moments in Ordinary Places
By mid-July, I was READY for a vacation.
Yes, I was looking for a getaway, but I was also hoping to find a sense of normalcy. My family has been visiting the same beach for years, and I wanted nothing more than to dig my feet into the sand, jump headfirst into the Gulf of Mexico and feel like I was on a normal summer beach trip. Not living in a pandemic.
And while the sand and sun were just as fabulous as I’d imagined, some of my best memories were not even on the beach, but in the car.
It reminds me of the time when my parents took my brother and me to Disney World, and all we wanted to do was swim in the hotel pool. Sometimes we put so much emphasis on the big, shiny destination. We don’t even see that what we really want is already in front of us.
Sometimes, we put so much emphasis on the big, shiny destination. WE DON’T EVEN SEE THAT WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS ALREADY in front of us.
I can’t remember the last time I had five uninterrupted hours with my dad, but that’s exactly what happened on our drive to Florida. Our time together was absolutely precious in the most ordinary way.
First we listened to 80s music, which Dad loves and has introduced me to over the years. He shared all kinds of trivia about bands and artists, and he taught me that the value of 80s music is in the musicality, not necessarily in the brilliant lyrics.
We also had important conversations about real life. I have a strong suspicion that Dad might be an Enneagram 1 like me, so we listened to Annie Downs’s #EnneaSummer2020 podcast on 1s and talked about our personality strengths and weaknesses. Dad and I can both tend to be hard on ourselves, and it was refreshing to encourage each other to give grace and accept that we can’t fix everything. (Shocker!)
We talked about friendships, things going on in our world, finances and faith. We split Chick-fil-A cookies, and I learned that Dad is a “red member” status on the app (a highly impressive achievement that I envy and aspire to attain).
On the way home from the beach, Dad and I stopped by our old house in Montgomery, Alabama, where we lived for one year when I was in 4th grade. Dad has always been a detour kind of guy, willing to take the long way home for the chance of seeing something special. I’m usually of the mindset to get home ASAP, but on this trip, I loosened up. I’m so glad I did.
Me in front of our old house in Montgomery, Alabama. You can’t tell in from this picture, but the trees in our neighborhood were filled with the most beautiful Spanish Moss! Our cat Brownie LOVED to play in it. And yes, this particular day was very windy. LOL.
Don’t get me wrong––I thoroughly enjoyed swimming in the ocean and taking long walks on the shore, but I was most refreshed and restored after spending uninterrupted time with the people I love.
An ordinary car ride reminded me that PEOPLE are a gift. No matter where you are or what you use to communicate, lean into relationships with those who love you, lift you up and speak truth into your life. Give of yourself, and fill up in return.
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