My husband and I debated for a week whether or not we wanted to take a last-minute end-of-summer family beach trip. All you moms out there know how much preparation goes into vacations. There’s doing the laundry and cleaning the house, packing a million things, and racking your brain to make sure nothing is forgotten. Then there’s figuring out what to do about your pets and driving a few hours in the car with kids. It’s a lot of work, no two ways about it.
Ultimately we made the jump to do it. And here is what inspired us.
We have a friend who is like family to us. She and her husband recently lost their son to cancer. He was only 28 years old and full of life. He was a grab-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of person. I didn’t know him personally, but from pictures and stories, I was always in awe of how he lived by his own rules. I saw pictures of him doing everything, from hiking mountains to flying from a parachute. This was a young man without fear and I doubt he ever turned down the chance to have a new experience. He was charismatic, brave, and loving. At a gathering to celebrate his life his dad said that the best way to honor his son was to live life to the fullest, and go on an adventure. I think everyone there was ready to jump up and become an explorer.
So in honor of Kent, we went on the adventure with our kids. We reminded ourselves that these moments we have with them are fleeting and life is unpredictable. It’s always worth it, to be together and make memories.
One morning, we all five sat on the beach and prayed for my friend and her family. We wrote Kent’s name in the sand and thought of him. Right after our quiet moment, we looked out at the ocean and saw a family of dolphins jumping in and out of the water. Magical. What a reminder that life is a million things. Beautiful and hard, short and long, but should always be treasured.
I’d love if this story could inspire you, too. What if we created a movement to encourage others to live their best lives and go for that adventure that they’ve been trying to summon the courage for, in honor of Kent’s family and friends – whether you knew him or not. So I propose that we post pictures of our adventures to social media and use the hashtag #adventuresforkent
During these last days of summer vacation, I encourage you to experience something new with your family. If you are a parent to school-aged kids, you know life is about to get exponentially more busy with car lines, homework, and after-school activities, so we have to make the most of the down time that’s left! You can think small and local… doesn’t have to be big if you are lacking time and money. Try something new like maybe bubble tea, go to a park you’ve never visited, feed ducks, have a picnic, make homemade ice cream… anything to create memories and bonding moments.
Life is all about the adventures we take and the people who go along with us, and it’s always worth the time and preparation. And don’t forget to take a picture or two.
