I don't really know when it happened. J and L, we haven't aged a day but somewhere along the road, our daughters grew up. Those little bundles of joy (most of the time anyway) became adults with lives and interests of their own. Now, instead of dinner time together, we have to schedule time around work, in-laws, and everything that pulls each of us in our individual directions. So mother and daughters decided to start what has become something of a regular occurrence: Girls' Weekend.
Sometimes Girls' Weekend is a couple of hours squeezed in on a Saturday to get a manicure and a fancy coffee or lunch -- anything to spend time together and reconnect. It's not easy transitioning from mom to one of the girls, but it has it's rewards. Other times, we head out for some real time together, venturing with our former German exchange student, turned family member, Jana, to a weekend in Vegas or camping with the whole brood (men are included for that adventure).
Whatever the activity, whenever we have the time, we've made a commitment to get together to remember not only how much we love each other as family, but how much we like each other as individuals! I discovered (or is it rediscovered?) that I LIKE them! I enjoy their sense of humor and doing silly girl things their dad, poor J, would probably roll his eyes over.
This time, it was Palm Springs. A hundred and nine degrees (oh, but it's a dry heat) and we decide to go to Palm Springs. Did I see you roll your eyes? But we find a wonderful hotel right in the heart of the action with a large pool. And that is where we stationed ourselves. Swim, go to breakfast, swim, go to lunch, swim, time for a sip of something cool and refreshing, ah, and conversation, giggles, sibling arguments (aw, the one stand-by you can count on in life), swim, then clean up for dinner, and, of course, a little shopping. A perfect weekend!
Well, almost. As time goes by, we must take these moments to keep the family lines intact. We may have our differences, but this is family and worth working to keep close so that time and distance never steal us away from each other. J and L love traveling together, but we also love coming home and spending time with loved ones. As you head out to your various destinations this season of the summer break, don't forget to take time to stay in touch with family. You might even enjoy it!
