A Vacation for the Weary

I’m really a cool to cold weather kind of person. Though it’s uncomfortable to work in the heat of summer, it has never been much relief to take a week off during that season. That’s why I wait and suffer through the terrible humidity. The sweltering heat of the southeast, that seems to go on forever. Really, it starts getting hot here in March and continues through September. Even into October sometimes. Though I’m from the south and love many things about this part of the country, it’s just too hot most of the year.

Today is the last day of my coveted time off. It’s peaceful here in my house. The heat is off and the window fan is running quietly. No television on this day. Reading and reflecting. Resting. I have somewhere to be this evening but for now I get to enjoy the last threads of a wonderful thirteen day respite from the grind.

In the past, I haven’t done much of anything during this time. Sit around the house mostly. Maybe visit family for a few days in another state. This year was a little different though. I took the opportunity to spend some time in the mountains with my dear friend. The place we went is my home state and it felt like I had come home. It’s been about a week since we returned and I have that feeling of lose again. Pining away for someplace I’d rather be. I’ve traveled all over the earth and seen many wonderful and beautiful places but the old saying rings true with me. There’s no place like home. Maybe someday it will be my place again.

I did visit with my family some. My dad has long since past away but my mother is still there. She doesn’t live in the family home anymore. With the onset of dementia it was safer for her to stay in an assisted living facility. It is quite sad to see someone you love lose his or her cognitive ability. A vague remembrance in the eyes, the obvious mental struggle to put the pieces together of who this person standing before you is. I love my mother dearly but I hope that I don’t end up in the same place. I honestly believe that I’d rather pass out of this life than to end up in that way. Though my time there was brief, I did get to visit with two of my brothers, my brother’s wife and my sister. It was really a joy to reconnect with my siblings. Their lives are so interesting and I am so very proud to be a part of our family. I wish there was some significant thing that I could do for them all. Some unequivocal thing that would always bring them peace, warmth and joy when they thought of me. I miss them already.

When I returned, it was time to pick up my own kids for the weekend. We always have a good time and I think all of our hearts ache when we part again. My youngest daughter, who is ten, has been bugging me to take her roller skating. When I was young and in school, I used to love skating. In the little town where I grew up, the man that owned the rink would drive an old school bus, that was painted white, around to pick kids up and then take them back home. It was like a dollar to get in and a dollar to rent the wheels. Though my dad gave me a small, weekly allowance I’d rake leaves, cut grass or collect bottles for the deposits so I’d have a little extra money when I went. It was good to buy a cheeseburger and have enough to buy the girl of interest a cherry coke. I’d skate my heart out and smooch with most any girl that was willing. Good times and mostly just clean fun. Well I took my daughter. It was the first time I’d been on skates in probably 30 years. Honestly, I was surprised at how well I was doing. Frontward, backward, even spinning around in a circle to stop. That’s when my girl wanted to hold hands and skate together. Now she does okay by herself but flails those arms around a good bit to keep her balance. I thought, no big deal, she’ll settle down if holding my hand. Right. We were probably in our third or forth go round when those little arms started to swing. In my effort to settle her down and keep her from falling, we both ended up on the floor. The one thing I didn’t remember about skating was just how much it hurt to land hard on that rink floor. Man, I could hardly walk for two days. My hip still hurts a bit and it’s been nearly a week.

Well, it’s been a good vacation. I really do feel rested and rejuvenated in heart and mind. I’m not looking forward to going back to work. I guess that’s pretty common with most folks. I am thankful that I do have a good job that is providing for my needs. God be praised. Its just time to start that long wait again.

Heavy sigh.