Happy Birthday!

And Happy Thanksgiving.  More on the title in a bit.  What a weird and strange time this is and hopefully one for the history books only to be retold.  I read this article a few months back and while I was a bit disappointed in the findings, I’m not necessarily positioned to disagree.  I’m also not one to spend time reading Applied Research in Quality of Life but when “The Happiest Part of Your Vacation is Before You Arrive” came across in one of my listservs, I immediately fell for the clickbait.  While the title is somewhat misleading, the general findings relate to the parts and preparations you CAN control; that is, planning for a vacation is most fun because there is no anxiety in executing your plan!  Once you get there, all bets are off…

And with the Nation Even More Unsure Than Usual Whether To Hug Cousin or not, 2020 has been a lifetime year for us (hopefully).  I honestly cannot imagine another game changer of this magnitude while I’m here.

At some point today I hope to drive by my parents’ house, honk the horn, and wave goodbye. My mother-in-law who lives close by may even do her own drive-by our house. We’re PPE’d out and unfortunately that’s ballooning our pandemic problem. My kids wear face masks 7 hours a day and then alternately swap on and off during (before/after school) swim and tennis practices. My wife dons her designer wear generally closer to 9 to 10 hours a day since she has to be covered up even when kids aren’t in the building. And me, I have to wear mine just long enough to travel from my car to my office and I’m just now realizing how much it has limited my interactions.

In the midst of this, I planned a getaway to a place you could go to get away.  Spanning nearly 2,000 square miles and carved by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is hard to describe.  There’s a reason it is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

My wife and I both agreed we were glad we never took the trip while the kids were young.  There is a simple reality that a 2 foot rock wall separates you and 6,000 feet below, and to be honest it made me nervous watching the thrill seekers in their pursuits of best selfies.  I found myself lecturing my own troop who were very pedestrian in their photo taking.  And today, my first born turns 17.

As I quietly give thanks, I’m mindful that our children are our natural wonders.  For many of us, we signed up to be parents not knowing what we were getting ourselves into.  For many others, parenthood came a calling.  And for some, being a parent to those in need became a mission.  Regardless, it’s a journey like no other.  As telling as a mirror might be, your reflection in a child never needs dusting.  And as this is an education blog, I’m surely preaching to the proverbial choir.  I’m also confessing the insecurities of parents across the globe on every day which indeed should be of giving – Happy Birthday G.