Lessons

So we've been home for about 2 weeks and we're fully back into the family groove.  First, I'd like to tell everyone thank you for reading.  Even though there weren't many comments to the posts this year, I heard from many of you that have been reading along our journey.  Just knowing that helped me feel a tab bit safer. And a big thanks to the Georgia State Parks.  I thought we were pretty spoiled touring some of the incredible national parks last year, but Georgia has put a lot of effort into making sure there are plenty of things to do and places to see in their state.

And last, thanks to family of course.  Without my grandparents, my mom, and Dave this trip would have been difficult and exhausting to say the least.  They were there to hold the hand of a child who lost the race to mine, kiss a scraped anything, listen to silly stories, and be the extra parent that was such a nice break from being solo.

And so on to our lessons:

• Forget painting your toenails before camping for 3 weeks.  You know you will forget extra polish, remover or both and they will look downright scary within a week.
• Always use bug spray when hiking in the Georgia wood.  I still have areas healing on my overbitten shins.
• On all future trips, make sure our visitors drive and stay separately to give the children that oh-so-important and treasured one-on-one time with them.
• Wait to buy fruit at the grocery store until you have passed the local farmers market or fruit stands.
• When moods shift, find water.  Any water.  A puddle, a lake, a pool, a hose, just find it and get them drenched.
• Ants, mosquitos, and gnats are extremely determined, I'll give them that.   
• It's ok not to be the helicopter parent in the middle of every argument and struggle.  Let them figure it out and be quiet until they ask for help.
• A glimpse into a grandparent's life so long ago may inspire you to dig deeper and find out where you really come from.
• Sometimes Georgia rain smells like peaches!
• Many of Georgia's roads are not marked well.
• I can learn to tell the difference between peanuts and cotton bushes, pecan and maple trees, and blueberry and blackberry bushes before the first hint of any fruit.
• No matter how many times I sneak a peek at wildlife beside me, I always jump and gasp with excitement.
• Laughter can diffuse even the angriest child.
• I know how to identify and deal with poison ivy.  It's everywhere in Georgia!
• Trust my instincts and listen to them.  Don't worry about appearing silly or possibly offending someone.
• If someone behaves negatively toward me, remember they are a human being just like me.  Take a step back to draw the line between the action and the person.
• If I wait on the world to tell me when to stop, I never will so get out of the race sometimes!
• If I wait for the perfect moment to take a break, I never will so just find a moment!
• If I wait to live my life until after the duties are done, I never will so just settle for good enough right now.

As you can imagine with spending so many hours on the road with 3 semi-occupied kids, there is some time to think.  The past two years I've spent thinking about so many different things I can't even remember them all, but I finished something important to me on this trip.  I finished my rules to live by.  There are only 10 and they are only 2 words each!

1. Be kind.  I was raised this way (thank you, Mom) so this is not an effort for me, but I do have to be careful about being too kind.

2. Be honest.  Enough said.

3. Be helpful.  This rule was brought to my attention just this morning as I was walking home on a bike ride with my kids. The entire shifting mechanism broke so it was unrideable. More than 15 vehicles drove past me, 9 of them trucks and one with an empty trailer.  Not one offered to help at all.   So my somewhat patient kids did loop after loop coming back to see me as I walked the mile home.

4. Be resilient.  At first this rule was "be strong", but I changed it this year.  I do want to be strong, but I also realize it's okay, even necessary to let yourself be weak sometimes then be strong enough to bounce back.

5. Be brave.  I am the biggest chicken sometimes, but I'm learning.  I'm learning to be cautious, but brave.

6. Be forgiving.  I struggle with this especially with those closest to me.  This also includes refraining from doing anything for revenge, no matter how small it seems.  Grudges are hard to drop.

7. Be generous.  I was also raised this way, but I can always do more.

8. Be respectful.  Everyone deserves it.  Especially me.

9. Be present.  If there is one thing these summer trips do the most, it is to remind me to be present. Be present with the earth.  Be present with my family.  The shared experiences with my children when I am fully present are and will be some of the best memories of my life.

10. Be happy.  It's up to me.  I tell the kids all the time that people can't make you feel something.  It's all how you choose to respond to the situation.  I am choosing to be happy.  And if you don't want to hang out with someone who is happy, find someone else to hang out with.  I say that with the utmost respect!

And so another year on the road is closed.  It was not without its' struggles and challenges, but we are home looking back through pictures and journals with wonderful memories and chatter of "Remember when...?" that's just priceless.

See you here next year!