Vacationing with the folks

I've been on vacation. Well, technically I’m always on vacation, but Mom and my brother Mike came to visit for a week and we’ve been seeing the sights.

It’s always interesting when company comes and you get to see your own life through their eyes. They seem to like Florida in March. There was new snow on the ground when they left Montana, and it’s snowed there since. So the summer weather we’ve been having here doesn’t bother them at all. They spend a lot of time out on the front porch, reading and soaking up the warmth. As a result, I’m enjoying it too — instead of dreading how hot it’ll be in July, as I sometimes do. It’s good to live in the moment.

Mom’s in her mid-80s. Yesterday we walked more than three miles along the beach, and she didn’t complain. She’d stop to pick up shells and remark how lovely everything was. Later we walked around St. Augustine and she didn’t complain then, either. I sometimes curse the fact that I’m now past 60, but then I look at Mom and realize two things: First, I tend to take her energy and vitality for granted. Second, I come from pretty good genes. I may not have gotten the one that generates unyielding optimism, but maybe that’s something that can be learned.

They depart tomorrow. It’s been great having them here — two of the most cheerful, gracious guests we could ever hope to have. During their week here they’ve sometimes asked me things about Florida and Jacksonville, and I’ve had to tell them I’m a stranger here myself. But somehow their week here has made this place feel more like home.