One Last Family Vacation | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: One Last Family Vacation | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ellen Janson
02/08/22
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

I had double checked that all medications were itemized and secured in a large ziplock bag. Toothbrushes and underwear were packed. I had removed a fancy wool skirt (for a lake vacation in 90 degree weather) from my mom’s suitcase, and made sure my dad’s duffle bag included a hat to protect his fair skin. Still, I didn’t remember everything, and halfway to our destination, I realized neither of my parents brought ANY glasses - sun or prescription; my dad forgot most of his toiletries; and clearly my kids would be sharing their beach towels. A hearing aid was lost in the car on the way there, and my mom, herself, was temporarily lost in a restaurant on the way back.

My husband and I were in charge of getting my elderly parents to and from what would probably be our last family vacation. My six siblings and I have been doing these crazy adventures for the past twenty summers. They started when only three of us were married; combined my parents had eight young grandchildren. None of us had much extra income to spend on a vacation, so we always rented the minimum number of bedrooms. It was sometimes messy, but no one ever wanted to miss it. We would come from several different states, some driving, some flying, and let the week’s chaos begin.

These trips are some of my son’s fondest memories. They remember playing baseball and fishing with uncles. They remember getting extra attention and treats from aunts. They recall feeling very special after one-on-one quiet conversations with a grandparent. They remember swimming and boogie boarding with cousins. And, the all time favorite - playing Capture the Flag with everyone….”even the moms”.

Over the past two decades, the number of grandchildren has almost tripled, the budget has relaxed, and we have all aged. My siblings and I had to concede that this tradition was probably coming to an end. The summer of 2021 would be our last family vacation - most definitely the last with mom and dad.

Our parents are now 83 years old and becoming increasingly fragile. The danger of a fall in an unfamiliar environment feels like a big risk, and mom’s Alzheimers makes her general safety quite an undertaking. We chose a place close to home in case things didn’t go well, and enlisted the help of older grandchildren.

During the week, there was constantly at least one pair of eyes on our parents, a couple of arms for them to hold on to, and many fresh ears to listen to their often repeated stories. Though my mom can no longer recall most names, she knew that everyone in the huge house was someone she loved. We played lots of music from my parent’s day, transporting them back in time a bit, and danced with them on kitchen floors. We dealt my mom into card games, easily leading her to believe she was playing with us. We coaxed my dad into reminiscing about our childhoods, and even his own. We laughed at so many memories, some being heard for the first time by the next generation. We prepared meals for 36 people and served our parents as people of great worth. We celebrated family and demonstrated to their grandchildren the importance of it.

We thanked God for His many blessings and remembered how good He has been to us.

Thank you, Lord, for my parents. Please help them feel your presence in their new home (assisted living) and in this last phase of their beautiful lives. Please help them always remember how much they are loved.

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.