How I found purpose through Regret – part 1

The kids’ regretted that we had to return home. 

And so did I. My family and I just came back from a beautiful trip for our 11th anniversary. My wife always wanted a beach wedding. The best I could do when we first got married was a park overlooking a small local lake. 

So, for our momentous 10th Anniversary, I surprised her with a full-on beach wedding/vow renewal. I found a magnificent beach house, directly overlooking the Gulf from the master bedroom. 

I had never really spent any real-time on the beach. 

I’m more of a cold mountain type. And I never really saw myself as a fan of the beach. I always thought that it would be too hot and crowded for my liking. But our Anniversary is right at the beginning of March. And I found my joy of the place through the cool ocean breeze and the live sound of the crashing waves upon the sand.

Though my first time in Port Aransas was a bit hectic, with family and friends filling up the house and the time, and, of course, the activities of organizing and participating in a formal vowel renewal, falling to sleep at night, to the fresh ocean air and soothing waves, with my wife snuggled up to me, quickly became my “Happy Place.”

After having such an experience that first year, and seeing the enjoyment my wife and kids found there. I immediately started looking for another smaller beach house for our next anniversary. The only requirements? It had to have a master bedroom with a king bed and a balcony directly overlooking the ocean. And only big enough for my wife, myself, and the kids. 

Well, we just came back from our 11th anniversary. 

Again, it was a wonderful time. The little condo we found was perfect for our needs. (There are still a lot of repairs going on from Hurricane Harvey. It’s been good to watch and experience a community as they bounce back from a disaster.)

It was quite cooler and extremely foggy this year. But being only us and the kids, we were able to explore more of the island. And I can not express adequately the feeling I get from falling to sleep with the balcony door open. The night ocean breeze and the soothing sound of the ocean waters, while my cuddly little, not quite 5′ tall wife curls up to me. 

Then the dreaded time comes to pack up and head home. 

It is challenging to teach, your kids, especially the two youngest, to not focus on the ‘leaving.’ But to find purpose and maintain a focus of gratitude for having been able to have such an experience. When deep inside your struggling with the regret of having to leave yourself.

Outside, you’re trying to stay positive, show gratitude, and enjoy the moment. Especially in front of your kids, you don’t want to think about going back to the office or getting up to push the kids into getting ready to go to school. It weighs you down from the inside out.

The ride home is not nearly as enjoyable as the ride out. 

You get home late and immediately have to go back into the routine of getting kids to bed, making lunches, and preparing for the following workday. The next morning, instead of the meditative sound of crashing waves, you wake up the noise of construction from down the street, rush hour cars and sirens. 

How quickly the joy and gratitude can turn into sadness and depression. As they say, “All good things must come to an end.” 

How quickly the joy and gratitude can turn into sadness and depression. As they say, "All good things must come to an end." Or Do They? Click To Tweet

“Always aspire to inspire before we expire!”​


Re-post from March 2018, a post lost during a site migration.
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