Tuesday, July 13, 2021

The Road Trip of Letting Go #SOL21

My mom just spent the last month with us, and we knew we would eventually have to get her back to her home in Venice, Florida.  We decided we would go back with her to enjoy more family time on the beach.

Many factors played into our travel arrangements, but in the end, Scott and I decided we would drive to Florida and Ashley would fly with my mom.  We left a day ahead of them, planning to meet up the following Sunday evening at my parents’ house.  


Ashley is pretty well-traveled, so we figured she knew the drill and would need little direction.  

However, Scott printed their boarding passes at home and we took their luggage with us to make it easier for them to get to the gate.


On Sunday, we communicated with them through text, and they seemed like they had things under control.  However, there were a couple of signs that it might have been a more eventful trip.


Signs:

  1.  Text from Ashley:  What is our gate number?

 30 minutes later:  Nevermind 


Scott and I were so engrossed in a crime Podcast that we did not see the texts until later.


  1. While listening to said Podcast, a thought crept into my head - I hope Ashley remembered her ID.  However, a text that they were at the gate and a call to Cameron put my mind at ease.


Little did I know that all three of them had made a pact of silence.  They would not reveal the truth until my mom and Ashley were safe in Florida with my dad.


The Truth:


  1. Ashley DID leave her ID in the car.  Luckily, she realized it quickly, and Cam was able to turn around to deliver it to her without much trouble.

  2. Ashley lost her boarding pass while going through security.  However, she obtained a new one at the desk at the gate once they figured out the gate from which they were departing.

  3. My mom had a seizure on the plane.  Ashley woke to her shaking and quickly started to take care of her and found help.  Luckily, there were two nurses close by who took care of my mom by giving her an IV and bringing her back to consciousness.


Once they were safe, they could talk about it with a bit of chuckling. It was obvious they were trying to conceal the fear and anxiety they had felt in the moment.


Lessons Learned:


  1. Ashley and Mom can and did take care of themselves and each other.

  2. Ashley needs a purse, especially for traveling (already taken care of by Grandpa).

  3. Mom (me) does not need to know everything right away.


Note of honesty:  My first thought had been that Ashley still needs her mom, but as I wrote this, I realized that experiences like this are how we all learn and grow.  Ashley is ready for the world, and I am extremely proud of how she handled the bumps in her trip with my mom.  The truth of the matter is that I still have a bit of time left on my road trip of letting go.





3 comments:

  1. Wow, Heather, what a great post and quite the events of travel. So glad to hear everything worked out okay, and yes, I'm sure Ashley learned so much!

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  2. This transition time is so tricky- letting go with your teeth clenched:) Even though it was a tricky trip Ashley will have developed confidence, as it worked out.

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  3. Your phrase “road trip of letting go” made me read your post, and I love it. I like your structure, of your period of ignorance and then “signs”, “the truth”, and “lessons learned!” You could use this structure again as you experience more of these moments.
    Kudos to Ashley. Handling a seizure? Wow.
    And as a mom myself I get the frustration of kids without purses or other reliable ways of carrying important things!!! Glad she has one now.

    ReplyDelete

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