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One last summer

creating lasting connections

by Aug 12, 2019

I had one of those rare, quiet, nobody-was-calling-MOM-a-hundred-times moments the other day (they do happen, I promise!) And I started thinking about how my oldest son has one more year of elementary before we send him off on his next big adventure in middle school.

Yikes!

To say I’m terrified is an understatement.

Nevermind that I hated middle school–that’s a post for another day. But it hit me like a ton of bricks when I started thinking that we’ve essentially got a year to teach and support him–to create a sense of belonging to our ‘team–before he gets funneled into a gathering that will expose him to so many new, sometimes frightening, situations.

I realize that my middle school experience is different than his will be. While I was struggling to fit into a box that he probably won’t struggle with, he’ll have other, possibly more difficult, hills to climb. As well as big decisions that will determine his trajectory for years to come. I know, it sounds a bit dramatic to say, but I really believe my choices as a moody 13 yr old affected me for a decade…and maybe more.

I feel like we’re cramming for a really big test that begins next fall. Cramming in all the daily summer stuff like afternoons at the pool or hikes around the lake, trips to our local theme park, and late night chats when it’s just too hot to sleep. And because we love to travel, we’re taking in those adventures, too.

But we’re cramming to say the least.

Summer vacation is over and I feel like we’re running out of time to do the things that great connections are made from.

One thing that puts my mind at ease is all the fun adventures we’ve been able to revel in over the last few years. Trips to Europe, Hawaii, Florida, California, The Pacific Northwest, etc.

We saw that by jet setting around The Netherlands, Belgium, and France, we created a connection with our kids that we just couldn’t have created otherwise. We relied on each other to navigate subway systems and practiced our developing French language skills with so many locals, who (humble brag) had nothing but positive things to say about our oldest son’s skills!
And in Hawaii, we confronted our fear of unruly ocean waves and snorkeled with mysterious sea creatures. We drove our rented Jeep down a steep, rutted hill and waded through rain-soaked potholes, all in the name of searching out a gorgeous black sand beach.

At the end of these adventures, do you know what we have?

Memories!

Moments we chat about all the time! We’ve got photos on our wall of those ‘together’ moments that our kids can fall back on when they encounter thoughts of not being enough or that nobody understands them. We know that when those tough moments come, and we know they will come, it is our hope that those memories will be enough to keep them rooted, grounded in a sense of belonging and being enough. A sense that they can get through whatever life throws their way. And that we as a family can make it through together, if we trust and stay close to each other.

We have a vested interest in your family creating those same moments.

Your kids will hang with our kids. Your kids and ours will become the next generation of strong individuals who will make a difference and change the world!

We hope you’ll turn those ‘someday’ travel goals into ‘right away’ travel plans with us!

-Mandi