Family Vacations

June brings to mind family vacations. A trip to the mountains, the lake, or the ocean with the people you love the most.  Family vacations should be stressless. They are not.

Stressless vacations

We are God's creatures used to having our own space and wanting, like Greta Garbo, to be alone in a Stressless recliner with a cup of coffee and a good book.


Vacations are marred with uncertain moments - reacquainting yourself with parents, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces, and the occasional girl or boyfriend brought along. Who is this stranger?  Is he or she the real one? And what do they think of this odd lot we call family?

When time began
God made a family
As only God can,
Thankfully

In the mountains

Now throw too many people into too small a space. There are not enough bathrooms to go around.  So we fidget. Meanwhile, do we talk politics or religion?  Does so and so have a bigger house or a better job? Are there old scores to settle? Thank goodness for the times when everyone is out of the house and again, for the moment, you have time to yourself.

At the ocean

At the end of the day after the evening meal, the family gathers in the living room to tell tales or play games. One of our favorites games is "Choose this or that".

Suppose you had to choose only one of two things you dearly love, for all time.

Would it be vacations at the ocean or in the mountains? Other suggestions include chocolate or vanilla, television or computers, chairs or sofas, cars or trucks, chicken or steak, wine or beer, Angelina Jolie or Marilyn Monroe.

You get the idea, now make up your own pairings. That is the fun of it.

On the Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Ridge Road