Carpe Diem
In the movie “Dead Poets Society,” Robin Williams’ character advises his students to “seize the day and suck the marrow out of life.” I have thought back to a week in September and have been very glad I did just that.
The week before Labor Day, both of our children were out of school and camp, and I knew my wife would need some relief if they were around the house all day every day. I decided to take a few days off during the week so we could do fun family stuff.
On Monday we went to the Baltimore Aquarium, which is a wonderful place. Our son is particularly interested in animals and nature, so he loved it. Our little daughter enjoyed herself too. The highlight of the visit was seeing the Dolphin Show, especially the part where the dolphin leaps about ten feet out of the water. They are truly amazing creatures. We finished the day with tours of a lightship and a submarine and then a pizza dinner, waiting for traffic to subside for the trip home.
The next day I took the kids camping to give Mom some much needed kid-free solo time. We had a delightful time – we went hiking, played in a meadow, and rode our bikes around the campground. Actually my son and I rode our bikes, and my daughter rode in her “buggy” behind me. We had fun snuggling and drinking cocoa by the campfire, and slept all cozy together in our big sleeping bag.
On Wednesday, after going home and unpacking the van, we decided to take advantage of the weekday and the weather to go to the water park. Once again it was just Dad and the kids, and we had an excellent time. My son was chafing a bit because I had to be with little sister all the time, but once we found the little kids’ area she was safe and happy and I could give him more attention.
I was supposed to go back to work on Thursday, but instead I decided to take my son to the water park by himself so he could have my undivided attention. I called my office and extended my leave by a day, and once again we were off to the water park. We had a wonderful time together, going down the slides, playing on the “big toys,” and swimming and roughhousing like we couldn’t when little sister was there. It was a very, very enjoyable day, and a wonderful end to my vacation at home.
This account might seem mundane and ordinary, but it was one of the best weeks of my life – taking a vacation from my daily routine without really going anywhere, and devoting myself entirely to my family. In fact, when I found out shortly thereafter that I was being sent to Iraq, one of my first thoughts was “I am so glad I took that time off to go camping with the kids.” My fond memories of that week have helped sustain me during my time here, and given me much food for pleasant anticipation of the fun we will have together as a family when I get home.
Seize the day – live in the present. You never know when your life will be turned upside down, so live your life with your loved ones now. Someday you will need those experiences and memories to keep you afloat.
The week before Labor Day, both of our children were out of school and camp, and I knew my wife would need some relief if they were around the house all day every day. I decided to take a few days off during the week so we could do fun family stuff.
On Monday we went to the Baltimore Aquarium, which is a wonderful place. Our son is particularly interested in animals and nature, so he loved it. Our little daughter enjoyed herself too. The highlight of the visit was seeing the Dolphin Show, especially the part where the dolphin leaps about ten feet out of the water. They are truly amazing creatures. We finished the day with tours of a lightship and a submarine and then a pizza dinner, waiting for traffic to subside for the trip home.
The next day I took the kids camping to give Mom some much needed kid-free solo time. We had a delightful time – we went hiking, played in a meadow, and rode our bikes around the campground. Actually my son and I rode our bikes, and my daughter rode in her “buggy” behind me. We had fun snuggling and drinking cocoa by the campfire, and slept all cozy together in our big sleeping bag.
On Wednesday, after going home and unpacking the van, we decided to take advantage of the weekday and the weather to go to the water park. Once again it was just Dad and the kids, and we had an excellent time. My son was chafing a bit because I had to be with little sister all the time, but once we found the little kids’ area she was safe and happy and I could give him more attention.
I was supposed to go back to work on Thursday, but instead I decided to take my son to the water park by himself so he could have my undivided attention. I called my office and extended my leave by a day, and once again we were off to the water park. We had a wonderful time together, going down the slides, playing on the “big toys,” and swimming and roughhousing like we couldn’t when little sister was there. It was a very, very enjoyable day, and a wonderful end to my vacation at home.
This account might seem mundane and ordinary, but it was one of the best weeks of my life – taking a vacation from my daily routine without really going anywhere, and devoting myself entirely to my family. In fact, when I found out shortly thereafter that I was being sent to Iraq, one of my first thoughts was “I am so glad I took that time off to go camping with the kids.” My fond memories of that week have helped sustain me during my time here, and given me much food for pleasant anticipation of the fun we will have together as a family when I get home.
Seize the day – live in the present. You never know when your life will be turned upside down, so live your life with your loved ones now. Someday you will need those experiences and memories to keep you afloat.
posted by Greg at 1/02/2005 11:12:00 AM
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