I recently took a road trip by myself to reconnect my spirit, clear my mind and focus on my blessings. I stayed at a little bed-and-breakfast inn at Dauphin Island.
Nestled in a little corner lot on the bay, this place was quite cozy. Sectional sofas and a big screen TV arranged on a covered concrete patio along with picnic tables with umbrellas out in the sun. A deck on the upper level to overlook the beautiful grounds and the pier full of fishing boats. A fire pit, barbecue grills, tropical flowers and trees were the setting of the backyard which had a sidewalk leading to the pier and boat docks.
In the area was a sea lab, walking and bird trails, a beautiful park and an RV campground. The secluded, private beach was especially relaxing and peaceful.
Breakfast for everyone was at 8 AM; whatever you can imagine for breakfast is what was served. And boy did we eat.
There were 16 of us guests having breakfast this particular morning. We introduced ourselves and swapped life stories over coffee prior to eating.
A middle-aged couple had come in with two small children, both under the age of six. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thought these children were with their grandparent’s.
The kids laughed loudly and ran through the dining room to see what was being served. They found a cookie jar and a table with sweet snacks so their attention went straight to the sugary goodness that children enjoy most.
Those children were all over the place; they spoke to everyone as if they had known them all their lives. The woman explained that she and her husband had six grandchildren but had started over having children later in life. These in fact were their own children and not their grandchildren.
The mom hurried the children into the restroom to wash their hands as she instructed her husband to pour them some coffee. Strong coffee.
The couple and their children sat at a round table near the back, separate from the rest of the guests. They said they knew their children were loud and were going to be moving around a lot and they didn’t want to disturb anyone.
The little boy and little girl were so excited! They were happy to have pancakes and fruit and to drink from a “grown-up glass“. Hopping from one chair to another at their table and swapping glasses of orange juice and milk, their voices became louder as they just could not contain themselves.
This sweet mama dropped her head and apologized to everyone in the room multiple times for the rambunctiousness of her children.
I spoke up and politely told her there was no need for an apology. Those children were enjoying their vacation. They were excited about it. They were seeing and doing things they don’t normally get to do and they had every reason to squeal in excitement about it. They were living their best life!
At that moment, I just sat in silence and looked at the people around me at the breakfast table. We were a very diverse group of strangers from all walks of life. We knew very little about one another but we could all agree that every single one of us at that table was doing our very best to live our best life.
That’s when the connection took place. The reconnection of my spirit, my mind and my focus. Those children helped me realize my blessings. As chaotic as life can be sometimes, even amidst my struggles… I am living my best life.
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