Anchor

This weekend Krista, heidi and I walked the docks in Charleston, Oregon. As I stepped carefully along the rickety boards I noted the different boats. Some were big, some small, some in better condition than others. There were some that seemed they had had their anchor in the water for a bit too long.  Covered in rust, garbage piled up inside and on the deck, ropes that had been sitting stagnant for far too long. I wondered who owned them and why they weren't being used.  The anchor, it seemed, was good for keeping the boat secure. But if the anchor was never lifted up every once in a while then the boat became so worn out it would be difficult to navigate the waters of the ocean.

This is a metaphor for how I feel.

It seems that every time I return from going out of town or blog about it I get the comment that I "travel a lot" from at least a couple people.

This President's Day weekend I went to Coos Bay to see my Momma and Sister because it seemed like the right thing to do.  It wasn't a trip I planned way in advance. In fact, I planned on being home because Chris was going to be out of town and Makenzie had a ballroom dance performance.  But then, last Sunday, I was laying on the couch in that Sunday stupor of laziness and thought to myself, you should go to Coos Bay.  I talked it over with Chris and Makenzie and they agreed, I should go.

Fast forward 7 days to this past Sunday and I am sitting in sacrament meeting when a friend I have known my whole life, turns around and asks me "why" I was in Coos Bay.  Huh?  I looked at my mom, back at her and then said, "well, it was a three day weekend and I wanted to come see mom."  It just seemed obvious to me.  What came next was, "you leave home a lot."

I was telling my sister that I can't quite figure out what people mean when they say this to me.  There have been times that the comment seems almost like an accusation.  The first time that occured I brushed it off.  But since it has happened more and more frequently in my life I have to wonder if there is something to this.

But this is what I know:  I am a better person because I travel. A better mom. A better wife.  I need my breaks. And I need them more than once a year.

There was a time, when my children were small, that I only got to go on one weekend trip a year to visit a friend.  This has changed as my children have gotten older and are more independent.

This is also what I know:  We all have our priorities.

People that have asked me how I afford to travel.  Simply, look at my house.  I have the same original 70s (albeit in good condition darn it) vinyl on my floors.  Many a person would have "updated" by now. Not me, I spend my money on gas to visit my mom.  Or on gas money to take my middle daughter to an Irish dance competition in Utah. My priority is providing experiences for myself and my family during this time here on earth. The money that I spent in Ukraine last spring could definitley have provided the pergola I want on my back porch. And some people would have chosen that Pergola. That's fine. I did not.

Perhaps people are making the comment to me because they are jealous.  That was my sister's thought. If someone is jealous of that then maybe their spirit is telling them to take flight every once in a while.  It's okay to do, you know.

I also know when to say no to traveling.  Chris and I were supposed to take a trip to Mexico City last spring. It was planned, we were excited. But for some reason we kept putting off the purchse of those tickets.  So I finally said to Chris, "Let's pray about it." And we did and we got the answer to not go. Chris' brother was disappointed to not have us there at their pre-wedding party but understood.  You know what happened?  The Swine Flu broke out and they were barely able to leave the house and they almost wouldn't let my brother-in-law into the temple for his soon-to-be wife's endowment.  If we had gone it would have equaled = stuck in the house and no temple for us.  We were also supposed to go to Rexburg this weekend for Makenzie's ballroom dance competition.  Last week some things came up and we had to decide if we were going to go or not. We decided to not go. Or at least I decided. I think Chris still may not agree with that decision.  But yesterday I found out that my cousin's son will be receiving his endowment on Saturday at the temple. We love him and it will be really nice to be there for that.

My point is, going places is part of who I am and my personality. The Mindy Gledhill song, Anchor, resonates with me on this very topic.  She sings,

When all the world is spinning round
Like a red balloon way up in the clouds
And my feet will not stay on the ground
You anchor me back down 

I am nearly world renowned
As a restless soul who always skips town
But I look for you to come around
And anchor me back down 

The anchor of a ship keeps it from moving too far.  It can still move a little but it's not going to drift away.  My family is like that for me, they keep me grounded, keep me focused on what is important.  Yet, they let me go every once in a while to explore new things and have experiences that will enrich their lives when I return.  I love them for that.  

And I love to see the world.