A 3-Way Vacay? Sure – Ask Branna
There is a vacation, the staycation, but what about
the 3-way Vacay?
Yep, is that time of year when the gloves come off, the bags are packed and you’re off to unseen adventures and explorations extraordinaire. Chevy Chase set the bar on Vacation by car, and John Candy made trips look dandy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. So what’s the flap on your family’s map this summer?
This old hometown gal has more of a hankering to hang out in the Hoosier state, but those bolder may be setting their sights more abroad. Regardless of your reticent road map for summer fun, have you considered including even more of your clan? Have you pondered why there’s a peak in popularity toward multigenerational family vacations? I know it’s sure crescendoed my curiosity as of late!
A few years back, my eldest daughter Erin rallied a three-generation road trip for Great Wolf Lodge. Just a mere 200 miles away gave way to a myriad of milestones, memories and yes, a mixed bag of melee. One mom (me), two fiery red-headed, decidedly different adult daughters and five grands, ranging from toddler to teen. Calculated chaos you say?! With only one little man in this mad mix (Cal was barely a toddling 2), need I say the hormonal horizon hailed high on this wayward weekend!
First order of business – eight passengers, three cars . . . now, who rides with whom? By the time this trio of moms landed at the Lodge, (between the traffic and the tantrums), no lie – we were fried.
Then came the fait accompli – assigning sleeping arrangements among three pre-teens and one bonafide 14-year-old. And we thought we arrived fried! What on earth was this Nana thinking when accepting this invitation for a weekend of chaotic kinship!
This is where teaching decades of stress management classes came in pretty darned handy. Just breathe . . . remove yourself from the drama . . . take a break. Nope! My toolbox was coming up empty. One suite amassed with six feisty females and a bouncing baby boy – need I say more?
Now that sleeping assignments were secured and the bags unpacked, let the games begin! Where to start? The wild and wondrous waterpark? The glitz and glitches of arcade games? Finding the food court for providing our posse with non-nutritive fun foods? Decisions, decisions. And did I mention that the decisions landed in the laps of six decidedly different females, ranging in age from eight to late 60s?
Calculated chaos? Check. A myriad of mayhem? You bet. Pouting and periods of passive-aggressive pandemonium . . . well, you get the picture. I’ve always believed that life is one big lesson and boy, did I get schooled that weekend! Would I do it again? Absolutely! With two years of recovery under my belt, I am armed with renewed faith in my family, a re-positioned perspective and a postulate for preserving peace among the ranks. Mutual respect, bestowing boundaries from the beginning, and giving plenty of space and grace.
Where will the wind blow us next? Who knows? What I do know is to never give up on those you love most. Family is a gift, forgiveness is a must, and our future is futile without love.
The phone lines are now open and I’m taking suggestions for our next exciting escapade!
Can You Relate is a column from Noblesville High School grad Branna (McCarty) Shores. Branna believes that “HOME is where your story begins.” A Noblesville native and proud alum of NHS and Purdue, she is a professional speaker, advocate for mental health and work / family balance and retired social worker. Branna is the mother of two grown daughters, six precious grandchildren and wife of one brave husband! Her passions include singing, writing and sharing the lighter side of life through lessons learned, both personally and professionally. She can be contacted at branna18@gmail.com