It’s All About the Journey
Alright, kids. Here’s your choice. We can go to see the log cabin where Abe Lincoln was born …..or….
Yeah??….(There was feigned enthusiasm somewhere deep within. I could feel it. What they really were thinking was. Dad, I’m not so sure I want to hear what choice number two is because quite honestly, choice number one SUCKS!!)
Or we could go to Dinosaur World.
Ooh!! Yea!! Dinosaur World. Dinosaur World. Dinosaur World!! Dinoworl! (Zella and Zander chimed in–they had no idea what Dinosaur World was. They were just following the crowd. Typical!)
The kids could not have had more fun. Dinosaur World is your typical tourist trap oasis tucked into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains somewhere along interstate 65 in nowhere Kentucky. The kids were able to follow a winding path through the woods where life sized replicas of dinosaurs greeted them around every bend. They paused at each one scarcely long enough to enunciate the syllables in the long dinosaur names before running on screaming like banshees as they went. (It had been a long ride.) There was a play area, a small cave with a movie and a dinosaur dig area where the kids were able to sift sand with a strainer in search for fossils, bones and what not. And of course, there was a gift shop. Lord knows if you stand any chance of having a successful tourist trap you’ve got to have a gift shop. We have five very nice glow in the dark dinosaurs to add to our collection of toys soon to be discarded and forgotten. Thank you for asking.
It’s been a long week. Emotional. Tiring. Draining. Our stop at Dinosaur World was needed in many ways. And as I recall the journey this morning I am reminded of how just such a stop would have been something typical of my mother. She was never a point A to point B person. She enjoyed the ride. The trip. Always eager for an interesting adventure or side trip. I can hear the voice of my brother, pleading from the back seat, “Mom! Can’t we just get there? I don’t want to see a rock cliff that may or may not look like W.C. Fields’ nose.” She would just smile or laugh in that way she had, continue tapping her thumbs on the steering wheel to the rhythm on the radio and say in her calmest most encouraging voice, “Sure you do. It’s going to be fun. Besides, I might find another rock for my garden.”
My mother had a habit of collecting rocks, boulders really, for her garden. She has rocks from every state we have traveled during our vacations from Texas to New Jersey to Florida. She would just pull off by the side of the road and choose what she felt would be a nice rock for her flower garden and place it in the trunk. All fine and dandy until my brother and I were old enough and she would send us out on the rock missions. “Mom, please! Don’t make me get out of the car to get you a rock.” “There are some nice ones right over there,” she would say. “Hurry up and close the door. Your letting the mosquitoes in the car.”
I suppose in many ways I am like my mother and becoming more so each day. I’m not really sure why I decided a side trip was in order yesterday. It’s typically not something I do while traveling. It’s typically something my mother did every time she traveled. My kids we beside themselves with excitement. And gratitude. They couldn’t thank me enough for giving them an adventure. I can’t thank my mother enough for teaching me the importance of the journey.
I love you, Mom. And I’ll miss you.
Good one Ed. I am definitely a point A to Point B person. I don’t even want to stop for a bathroom break – would rather hold it and be in misery than stop the car. Thinking of it as a journey is definitely the better method. Gotta try to remember that. Glad you guys made it back safely. I have been thinking about you all week.
Ed, Sorry to hear about your loss. These memories stay with us forever, I’m coming up on 20 years since my mother passed, and as short a time as I had with her I’ll take a few or her habits away with me.
Glad you can articulate it, and even more so that you can pass it onto a good time with your family.
All the best.
Ed,
Happy to have you and the kids back safe and sound. My thoughts are with you in you sorrow. The blog brought a tear.
Blessings!
That was a lovely post, Ed. I’ve very sorry for your loss.
What a beautiful memory. Thank you for sharing.
I remember your Mom so well. A great tribute to her through your blog. Take care.
Very poignant post.
I’m a point A to point B person but wife is like your mom. I hope someday my children will have the same memories of their mothers as of yours.
Touching post. The side trip sounds like it was a therapeutic choice.
So sorry for the loss of your mother. The words sound cliche, but they are sincere.
Ed, thanks for sharing such a heartfelt post. I’m sorry for your loss. My best thoughts are with you and your family.
Sorry for your loss, Ed.
Kudos on the Dinosaur stop, my boys would love that.
Your memories are for treasuring and sharing with your own kids, they’ll bring a lot of comfort so don’t be afraid to articulate them – its ten years this year since my father died but my brother and I speak of him nearly every day – and we laugh at the memories – thats important.
I am very sorry for your loss and have been thinking of you and your family. What a beautiful post. Love the Dinoworld side trip!
Beautiful post, Ed. What a special lady.
You have learned a lot from your mother… and how lucky that your kids have you to share that legacy with them. Wonderful idea to go to dinoworld…
I haven’t been reading blogs much this week so I am just finding out about your mother. I’m so sorry for you and your family.
As I was reading the previous post I couldn’t help but thing, as you described your mother, that she sounds a lot like you. This post just confirms that.
Sending warm thoughts your way.
I’m so sorry for your loss Ed. Your mom sounds like a pretty cool gal. I too am a side trip kinda person. My girls love it and can’t wait to see where we’re stopping next on our road trips. It makes those treks almost bearable. Of course I still can’t understand why Kathryn didn’t appreciate Graceland when she was two.