Vacations offer us a time to get away from our everyday life style. Life can become very monotonous for both adults and children when we do the same tasks each day. We long to get away from life's routine to rest body, mind and spirit. Within our busy work place there is little time for relaxation.
In today's world, many adults do not get more than 4-5 hours sleep each night. The body needs time to physically refresh and restore itself. The mind and the spirit also need time to rest. We carry many emotions with us that come from life experiences and we need that quiet time to rest and refresh.
A real vacation is when we leave all work and stress behind and enjoy the present moment. We leave behind our worries, fears and all other emotions that seem to rule our day and often our nights.
As a child, my parents never took us on long vacations. It seemed that the farm work was never done and one season rolled into the next. The work seemed endless. We went from seeding into haying, fencing, gardening, harvest in a very short period of time. The closest we got to a vacation was to visit my dad's brother in Manitoba. Just getting away for a day gave everyone a wonderful rest, and gave us the opportunity to enjoy the company of our aunt, uncles and cousins. It was preparing for this event that gave us much pleasure. To this very day I still remember those great times we enjoyed with our family.
Many people do not get vacation pay and for them vacations are few and far between. When vacation pay is not offered with our job many just can't afford to go away. So how can these people be refreshed and restored?
We do not have to go far or stay long to be refreshed. The planning that goes into the vacation is already part of the excitement of getting away. Getting maps, planning the route or the activities are the first steps of vacationing. One need not go away for a 6 week vacation. We may be able to plan a few short weekend retreats during the year- we will always have something to look forward to and something to plan for later in the year. The length of the vacation does not bring the happiness; the part of the vacation that brings us joy is being together with family and friends and leaving the work world behind us.
In the past, we have taken many vacations to New York, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The planning that went into these vacations took weeks. It was exciting to watch the children as they spoke of attractions we would encounter along the way. It was important for us to try to accommodate the wishes of the entire family sometime during our vacation.
Making the best of each day while on vacation is important. It is good if we can stop and enjoy the sights and sounds along the way. This makes the driving as enjoyable as the destination. With tour guides and travelling agencies we can take in attractions along the way and enjoy each day. Stopping in rest areas to let children run and play can be most helpful to overcome the endless question of "Are we there yet?"
Much happiness can come from even a short vacation. Remember we need not go far and we need not stay long.
Margaret Anne Yost nursed for 35 years. Returning back to school she completed classes from the Red River College in the areas of Gerontology, Bereavement, Death and Dying. For twelve years she worked in bereavement support at a funeral home.
At present she is employed as an Interim Parish Worker at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Melville, Sask. She also enjoys her role as homemaker, wife, mother and grandmother.
