It’s been too long … I regret nothing. The past few weeks have been filled with family quality time for Team Clas. Our clan has journeyed to Zurich, Switzerland; Strasbourg, Paris, and the beaches of Normandy, France; and culminated our Euro tour with a trip to Prague, Czech Republic. It’s been an amazing experience to recharge the batteries as a familial unit, and with COVID-19 restricting movement for as long as it has, it’s been nothing short of amazing to say the least. Family is a line of effort in this household and it prioritized mores so than any other activity in our lives.
“We are a family, and the loyalty of the family must come before anything and everyone else. For if we honor that commitment, we will never be vanquished-but if we falter in that loyalty we will all be condemned.” ~Mario Puzo, The Family
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2842951-the-family
Our adventures, however, have not been without a myriad of lessons learned. First things first, children under seven are not the best entourage to have when you’re on a 10 hour road trip. This course of action left us with a lot of stress and anxiety hours before we even hit our destination in Normandy, France. Secondly, a chateau is a beautiful place, but there are a lot of amenities that are sacrificed in the name of nostalgia, especially for a party relying heavily on technology to entertain the junior travelers on the trip. There was great value in gaining these lessons learned before we moved out a few days later on a planned multi-city tour across Poland, which would’ve put our kids on the car for durations of no less than six hours. We scrapped that plan and chose to go to Prague, “The Heart of Europe”, instead. It was a great and no doubt serendipitous choice, indeed.
Family Pilgrimage
We took a week-long vacation to Prague so I could make good on my family pilgrimage promise. I’ve traveled extensively across Europe in 2015 and again in 2017 resulting in my absence for key events in my children’s lives. I made a promise to myself to show Claudia and the kids the places I’ve been to when I was missing out on our kids milestone events when they were young. Many years from now my kids will no doubt ask me why I wasn’t in a precious moments picture when they were in their toddler years. We’ve hit my old stomping grounds in France, Germany, and the Czech Republic, but there are still several countries we need to visit — the Baltic Region, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia are still on the list.
Happiness is only real when shared.” ~John Krakauer, Into the Wild
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/family
Retracing your steps in a place you’ve been for only a few days six years ago can be difficult, but it was a great opportunity which led to great family experiences. The biggest challenge was finding a way to balance family fun for all parties involved. Kids in their kinder-years will not appreciate the history associated with many attractions in one of the oldest cities in Europe … no matter how well you try to sell the experience. This led to a battle rhythm of breakfast, Hotel play area, a few hours to site see no more than two places, dinner, and finally pool time. The guiding principle … whatever you do, do not deviate from the formula.
Fortunately, the formula worked and we were able to see and do everything we wanted to do. The highlights included taking the family to the Charles Bridge, the Prague Astronomical Clock, Prague Castle, and Prague Zoo. I’m truly grateful for having the opportunity to share this experience with the ones that matter most.
Back to the Grind
Returning to the workplace after a long vacation can be taxing on the morale. This is often called the post-vacation blues, but once you’re back in the office the operational tempo will bring you back to your flow whether you like it or not. This should not discourage a professional from braking away from the organization to recharge the batteries. Resilience is a combination of mental, physical, and emotional fitness and it’s our responsibility as professionals to set an example of holistic wellness for other members of the team to follow.
“All medicine comes down to this: Find out what’s bugging you; get rid of it. Find out what you need; get it. The body does the rest.” ~ Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D.
http://www.beverlysholisticwellness.com/quotes.php
I’ve been fortunate to have had leaders that have prioritized family time for their subordinates and themselves in the last several years. It’s foolish to think you can separate your family from professional obligations in the military. It’s not feasible because at any phase in your career there can be a requirement to deploy away from your loved without a strong support network in place. Therefore, it’s imperative to prioritize time with those you care about the most when the calendar allows. No matter what your profession may be, once you retire the organization will continue to move forward without you. Your family will be the ones there for you in the end, therefore, they should be getting the best of you as often as possible during your career.
Literary Journey
I hate to leave a strap hanger in this post, but definitely intend to deep-dive a child-development challenge we intend to face head on and dominate. A month ago we learned our son Dominic displays behaviors associated with Inattentive Attention Deficit Disorder. The revelation, however, was realized more individually than as a parent. The doctor’s overview and explanation hit on my own personal tendencies and challenges as a life-long learner and as a professional rather than that of my son.
I took a hard turn on my reading list and decided to tackle books that discussed the nuances of ADD and how to set conditions for success. In my next blog I intend to expound on the lessons learned from my current read, “Scattered”, by Dr. Gabor Maté. A lot of what I’m learning has to do with understanding my own personal challenges and what has worked for me over the years to overcome obstacles. I am no academic all star, but I climbed to a point outside of even my own expectations. Now I just need to learn how to pass those skills down to my children to gain a competitive edge toward achieving their dreams. Until next time my friends … One Team, One Family!
As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than we already do. We need less guilt and more awareness of how the quality of the parent-child relationship can be used to promote our children’s emotional and cognitive development.” ~Dr. Gabor Maté, M.D., Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It
Dr. Gabor Maté, M.D.(2016). “Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It”. Tantor Publishing.