Reflections this side of our trans-Atlantic summer vaca

Some advice from my wise mom...

1. Some advice from my wise mom--Vacation is not for moms, it is for kids. It is more work for moms.  It's perhaps a bit like a wedding; weddings are not for brides but for the families that brides and grooms represent.

"It's not about me" -- a basic camp slogan, but oh, so much harder in daily life!

2. Some advice from Mark--"It's worth it".  Mark has taught me this mantra to help me manage emotional days-- days, weeks and even months can be hard, can be what I don't want.  But are the things that are hard, unpleasant, not emotionally gratifying, part of a bigger "thing" that is worth it to me?  I know this is probably a basic principle that we learn our whole lives in different contexts-- a sort of "no pain, no gain" lesson.  But I think I'm learning it in the thick of family roles, trying to learn the maturity that the things that matter are not necessarily "fun" but are worthy of our sacrifice and delayed gratification.

My mom capturing a desperate moment when none of the dippin dots worked after a long negotiated truce with Daniel

3. Some indirect advice from all my peers (single, married, in hard seasons, in good seasons, in Uganda, in America, etc).  Life is a journey that requires our attention, our sense of humor, our adaptability, our faith/hope/love, and our friends and family to accompany us on said journey.

Despite some lousy weather, we did get beach time with Sarah and Angella

4. And advice by example from my kids (for theirs is the kingdom)-- play more, be outside, routine (esp food and sleep) is good, so are sweets.  But the best part of life is relationships--loving others and being loved.

The girls with their cousin Natasha in May