Beach Vacation
Dear Frankie,
Everyone in my family (my parents and brothers, 8 and 12) is ecstatic about our upcoming annual family vacation at the beach.
I, however, do not share their enthusiasm. I think it is two weeks of pure torture. The 3 1/2 hour drive in good traffic conditions is physically exhausting. I ride in the back of the station wagon in a space appropriate for a miniature chihuahua. This is the best choice of two evils; the other is sitting with my brothers and getting caught in the crossfire when they invariably get into a physical altercation.
My days at the beach are filled with sand grinding on and in between the pads of my feet, drinking warm water from a sunbaked plastic bowl emitting toxic chemicals, and jockeying with my brothers for an inch of shade under the beach umbrella.
The rainy days here and there spent at the cottage are the best days of the vacation for me. But heaven forbid if these days occur in a row. Two days of inclement weather and my father starts complaining about how much it is costing him to stay dry; my mother becomes annoyed because no one wants to play a board game or paint rocks, and my brothers become screeching maniacs who run around playing tag and roughhousing with one another on the floor.
Besides riding home in the same inadequate space, I also suffer the vile smell of rotting sea creatures and seaweed stuck to the shells the boys insist on bringing home.
I know I can’t avoid going on vacation with my family, but I thought writing about how I felt about it might make me feel better.
Alphonse
Dear Alphonse,
I hope getting your feelings off your chest lifted your spirits and lightened your emotional load.
Being a member of a human family has its rewards and deterrents. On the one paw, you get a loving family, food, shelter, etc. On the other paw, you have to participate in family activities you may not like.
I’m sure your family isn’t crazy about walking you in the rain, snow, and heat, cleaning up after you have been sick, or vacuuming your dog hair off the couch. But they do it because they love you and take responsibility for your care. You could think about the unpleasant parts of the vacation (hours each day, not 14 days 24/7) as something you endure because you also love your family members and know how much the vacation means to them.
Best, Frankie
© 2024 Geneva Woodruff
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