I have an encouraging thought from an odd place.

In November, my mother (the Silver Fox) passed away. She lived a great life and passed with dignity, but that is not what I want to share.

I want to talk about a lesson she shared while still living.

In 2005, my father passed away. They had been married for 54 years. They had that comfortable companionship that wears like a favorite shirt.

When Daddy died, we worried about the Silver Fox. Sensing that, she sat us down.

“Pat was my husband and partner. I will miss him every day. But I cannot bring him back. And I know that he would not want me to be miserable.”

She paused, “I know I have a choice. And with a lot of prayer, I plan to make a choice that would make Pat proud.”

My father was a man of great humor with a sharp mind. He, however, was a very reluctant traveler. He preferred the comforts of home to the mystery of travel. The Silver Fox, on the other hand, loved to see the variety of the world.

So she made a decision.

“I have always wanted to see Machu Picchu.” A few months later, she and a favorite niece were flying to Peru.

Here is the point. We are all encountering meaningful challenges. Some are deeply serious. Everyone is dealing with massive disruptions of lives. We have lots of stress and we worry about its effects on our children.

So . . . decide to go to Peru.

I do not mean that literally. The question is, within all these difficulties and stressors, where is the opportunity for something positive and uplifting?

• Is there a family tradition that you can begin?

  • Family board game night.
  • A movie festival (Toy Story to Hitchcock)?
  • A family nighty ritual?

• Is there a habit that you have avoided that you might embrace?

  • A morning walk.
  • 15 minutes of mindfulness
  • Sending notes/emails of appreciation to loved ones?

I am trying to find my “trip to Peru” as I worry about our camp families, our employees and even the camp (though we are still planning for this summer). These blogs are part of my effort. I also want to celebrate the fact that 3 of our 4 adult children (ages 21-23) are under our roof for perhaps the last extended time.

When you find your own “trip tp Peru”, please let us know what it is!

Steve Sir

P.S. The photo has nothing to do with my mom’s trip, but was a photo we got from a family that took at special family trip. It was just too cute to pass up!