Good Medicine

We all look forward to get away weekends, vacations, reunions, family get togethers. All of these things can be great but sometimes there is just one thing that stands out to you as a person that is like medicine to your soul. Do you have something that you do or somewhere that you go that just does your soul good? For me it is spending time at the beach. Norbert and I discovered our love for the beach when our children were small when we went to the beach with some friends. For many years Norbert and I even toyed with the idea of buying a condo at the beach because we loved it so much.
Fast forward 25 years and I can can count on one hand just a couple of years that we have not been able to go. We've never had a lot of money and I quickly discovered how to save a little every paycheck starting in January and by June or July could have enough to pay for a condo at the beach for a week. We would go out to eat once or twice and I cooked in the rest of the time. It was a relatively inexpensive vacation because the entertainment was provided once you were there. Mind you this wasn't the fanciest condo and it wasn't "on" the beach, but it was a great place across the street from the beach with a fabulous unobstructed view. Before we knew it, it was a family tradition and we were going every year. Summertime and vacation in our family meant "Destin". There have been several times that some of our close friends and their families all packed up and went with us. We all got condos side by side and had a great week together.
Since my children have grown and moved on to college and now marriage, there have many years that Norbert and I have gone to the beach TWICE in one year!! I think the kids loved these summer vacations in Destin and I hope they have fond memories of spending time together there. Several times in the last few years we have all joined our calendars and rented a big place and all the family has gone together.
Personally, there is just nothing else that recharges me like the noise of the surf, the sand on my feet and the sun on my shoulders. As I reflect back over the last 25 or so years, we didn't set out for this to become a tradition, it was just something we loved to do and it became our tradition.
Do you have traditions like this in your family? Finding something you all love and doing it is a good way to start a family tradition. These times spent together with family and friends produce memories that last for a lifetime.

Grammie