Missions, weddings, babies, work, school, illnesses. Life kept us from finding time for a true family vacation. But persistence finally paid off, and we carved out four golden days in Newport Beach, California. Hans could only be there for one of them, yet still, he came.
I had almost forgotten why we go on family vacations at all. I love staying home, swimming in the pool, grilling in the canyon, or picking up Café Rio. But traveling together feels different. Extraordinary. There is joy in waking up to the smell of salt air and the sound of waves, in watching the little boys tumble across the floor in their pajamas, in the wild camaraderie of planning the day’s adventures, running to the store for groceries and then cooking side by side, .
It was the our grown kids who planned a day at Disneyland, paying for their own tickets without a second thought. And Erik, who never counted himself among the lovers of crowded places, astonished us all. He was there from rope drop until the final sparkle faded from the night sky. On the way back to the car, weary and happy, he said, “Let’s do it again next year.”
I believe we will.
