Mother’s Day:sacrifice between Family, Work, and Play

Before Mother’s Day Sean and I were talking about three topics that lately seem to be in the top five things on most of our friends’ mind, Family, Work, and Play (kayaking).  For me work is just a means to getting stuff that I cannot take with me after I die.  It is a broad assumption to think that throughout the world people sacrifice their health for stuff.   An old press release from the Cancer Research UK claimed that in the light of recession people are shunning exercise and healthy living habits due to being stressed out about their job security, too much work, or lack of work.

I am actually living healthier because I have cut back on the stress of acquiring and then the keeping of stuff due to the stress of my job security, and my wife’s unemployment.  As a family we are spending more time together, walking, talking, and cooking.   We are walking to the grocery store and buying local fresh produce because it is actually cheaper than the frozen and overly processed foods.  It has been fun cooking and burning meals together.

This has brought my family closer together, out of necessity.  Everything is a gift.  This Mother’s Day I did not waste money by using a credit (debt) card.  I did not promote the killing of a tree by buying a card.  I did not add to the land fill by using wrapping paper to dazzle my wife’s imagination when she opened her gift.  My gift to her was emotion, prepared with a slice of thoughtfulness, and sprinkled with care.  What I gave her was an intangible memory that she can take with her when she dies.

After Church Tyler had his afternoon nap and then we took our son on his first kayaking adventure.  We rented a kayak from Sweetwater Kayaks at Weedon Island.

This was the first time we were in a kayak as a family.  Tyler had many firsts: first time seeing a small eagle ray (sorry no picture, it moved fast), his first snail,  his first time feeling wet sand squish between his toes.  We were on the water for thirty minutes, and the time flew by.  My wife even remarked at how fast the time went.

After we got off the water I surprised her with a picnic that I had prepared the night before.  She loves my cooking (probably because I do not have the chance to cook on the weekdays).   When I opened the cooler she discovered, watermelon, ice tea, and my version of a Cuban sandwich.  Focaccia bread holds up best with chipotle honey lime mustard, smoked ham, chicken, pickles, swiss cheese.

As we were eating at a table a juvenile raccoon made an appearance.  It kept its distance.  And we packed up to go get some ice-cream.  In the next few days I will also be completing the memory stone that our son started to make for Mommy.   It is a plaster/sand tile that will have his hand print and some of the shells that he picked up on his kayaking adventure.  My wife agreed that spending time together was the best gift that I could give her.

-Jeff