THE FATHER BLOG

We’ve all had our share of bad days in life. Been in a funk that felt it lasted a long time. But the truth is that the majority of us typically bounce back quick and go along our happy way. I feel very lucky that I don’t have any issues with this for whatever the reason (maybe bc I stay very busy, exercise, have hobbies, etc). But lately I have a few friends that have shared with me otherwise. Maybe at my age group it’s a mid-life crisis. Maybe the pressure of finances. Maybe seasonal depression as our days get shorter. Whatever if may be, it’s real to them and it’s not a good place to be in.

So today’s message is SELF CARE. Take care of yourself and know that nobody is truly alone. If you are feeling anything like I mentioned…talk to a spouse, parent, friend, religious person, healthcare professional, your pets if it helps!!

Whatever it is, there is likely a solution or a way back to happier times. You just need to take the first step.

As with everything in life….it depends.

Over 20 years ago (before this whole internet thing became so popular) I used a travel company to book a tour for Mary and I, my parents, and Mary’s mom. It was a great tour of Ireland by bus and there was no guess work on my end. We had a set itinerary and knew exactly how everything was going to proceed for the week. I was very pleased with the company (CIE Tours) which is still in business and was glad that was what we decided to do at the time.

Fast forward several years….I would now never use one. I enjoy planning my own “loose itinerary” and mapping out all the details. It’s really easy and I couldn’t imagine paying someone else to do it for me. I also find that I get amazing deals when you’re flexible on travel dates as well as accommodations, airfare, etc. And now with AI, you can pretty much let that be your travel agent.

In fairness, if you are traveling in a large group or have the means to do a “luxury” vacation, I believe you could still benefit from utilizing a travel agent. But for the family vacation to the islands or a National Park or to Europe….take some time and plan out what you want to do on your own….it’s not that hard.

Our tour group from 2005 in Ireland

Having a proper pint….damn….we looked so much younger!!

Mary and the parents at Blarney Castle.

In short….yes…sure is. I grew up in the 80s in a world where there were no “participation medals”. If you lost, you lost. Deal with it. If you didn’t like losing, then you grew from the experience, became resilient, and worked harder to make sure it didn’t happen again. I’m still completely dumbfounded why and when we stopped allowing children to “lose” and everyone has to be a winner. Newsflash: not everyone is a winner all the time.

My son had never really been on a successful hockey team that won any championships. However, last season, they were an incredible group of kids who won their league championship, got through districts, and were two wins away from Nationals. Overall, easily the most successful hockey team he had ever been a part of until that point.

Last weekend, his team had another chance to win their league championship for this season. Once again, they made it to the Finals. Game was tied after regulation. And then with 13.4 seconds left on the clock, the other team buried one and it all ended that abruptly. Definitely a crushing way to lose….but not all was lost. There are so many life lessons to be learned from the heartbreak of losing. Here is a great article I found and worth a read.