My children will always be my children. It’s just that now they are adults (well, the second one is almost an adult). This will be her first Presidential election. Mine was in 1980, when Ronald Reagan went into office.
One child will go fishing with a bunch of pre-schoolers today. She will eventually become an elementary-ed teacher, assuming some responsibility for sharing knowledge with young students. Some of that responsibility rests with their parents. What an awesome responsibility and opportunity to help young minds learn.
One child will be playing music, donating his time at the MACC festival in Columbus, Ohio. This festival is a benefit for St. Judes Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. Musicians will have their needs covered (hotels, food, gas receipts) and their efforts will draw festival participants who will buy tickets to see said shows and then a portion of the proceeds will go to Memphis, TN, to the hospital. Last year a bit over $40,000 went down to St. Judes.
GPS, cell phones, the internet all help us to stay connected. But that will never replace face-to-face interaction with family members. So, we did something about that a couple of weeks back. We went to the beach. My Momma & Daddy came down for a few days. A boyfriend and a girlfriend came down as well.
Swimming, putt putt, music & meals were all shared. Naps were very well received also. Rest. That’s what vacations are for me and mine. Not the hustle bustle to see how much we can cram into a 6-7 day period. That’s not us. Oh, there was time for fun like go-carts, ice cream underneath live oaks, seafood, a walk on the pier and the beach, but all of it at a slower, more relaxed pace. Lots of pics on digital cameras. A little bit of TV, but not too much, just enough to check the weather.
L-R Janee’, me, Katie, Chaz, Pop, Nanny, Aaron & Rachel
Young’uns are so dependent on parents when they are little bitty. Then, they start to think for themselves. Sometimes they stumble and fall in this new area of decision making. Just like everything else, hopefully they will learn from the mishaps. It’s hard not to run to the rescue as we have done in the past. They have to learn to rescue themselves, so that they can make it when their old-time rescuers aren’t around anymore. Then they will be equipped to teach these same lessons to those young’uns that usually follow.
But, for us, the parents, we never stop being concerned for them or about them. The concerns just focus on new areas.
The days are so short…
Tags: beach, cell phone, election, GPS, ice cream, internet, MACC, Music, presidential, Ronald Reagan, school, seafood, vacation, young'uns
