I got back early this morning from a super fun few days in Florida. It was relaxing (even with the 7am beach walk shell-hunts), it was simple, it was quiet, and it was so so necessary.
I realized a couple things while I was away. First, I miss the crap outta my kids. Like, seriously seriously missed them. But not in the sense that I felt the need to come home early! LOL! But I wondered each morning what they were wearing, if my daughter wore her retainer to bed, if my son remembered to shower (seriously), and mostly just wondered if they were ‘good’. Of course, I knew they were. They were in good hands. My brothers came to spend a couple days with them, so I knew that they were more than just ‘good’…they were like…GRAND. I got a picture from my brother at 8 o’clock one night, of my son eating a candy bar as a “bedtime snack”…they were GRAND. Trust that.
There is something crazy-comforting, trusting, like FULLLLLLY trusting someone else to care for your kids. It’s the kind of comfort that is rare- and not even all brothers/sisters, moms/daughters share. But I’m one of those lucky ones who gets that. I don’t worry if my kids are in good hands- rather I worry that when I come back, the Uncles are going to have transformed my kids into candy-craving kiddos!!! But it’s completely okay with me. And I LOVE it. (And ya’ll, don’t.even.get.me.started on the SAINT that is my mother. I came home to three clean bathrooms, three beds with clean sheets, and a cute new fruit bowl to boot! She. IS. Amazing.)
The other thing I realized while I was away was that it’s TRULY okay for mama’s to get away. And I’m not just saying this because I’ve done it a handful of times this year. No. I’m saying it because it’s true. There is something so yummy about getting away with your girlfriends and saying “I get to be free” for a few days. There’s something about driving around in a red convertible Corvette Camaro that is so crazy-freeing that it’s hard to truly explain. It’s not about the car. We didn’t even know what kind of car we had! It’s about the freedom of being ABLE to have a red convertible Corvette Camaro. No kids complaining in the backseat about the wind flipping their hair in their eyes. No kids complaining the music was too loud, or that Tom Petty was “so lame” (praying my Dad doesn’t see that). It is just so lovely to drive over to the beach without packing sand toys or SPF 240. There is just something to be said about the freedom of sitting in the Florida sun, reading a book, listening to James Taylor, and just RE-LAX-INGGGGG. It’s rare, but it’s so gorgeous.
So for you mama’s wondering if you should take that vacation sans kid- DO. IT.
It’s magical. It’s wonderful. It’s necessary. Do. It.
(Second) Lucky Chance 