The Reservoir

I’m posting this on Tuesday, but it’s a recap of what we did yesterday, which was drive up to Williams Creek Reservoir. It was gorgeous. We were able to take Mom, since it didn’t involve walking. We took a picnic, but it rained just as we laid out all the food on the table, so we moved our picnic to the van. Of course it stopped raining the moment we finished eating. We drove up toward the dam, and Alison, Kyle, Dad and I walked up the trail to hunt for the wild raspberries. It was a trek, but we found them. We picked a few, and not being much for raspberries myself, I took everyone’s word for it that they were delicious. It was such a good thing to do, since Mom is relegated to dialysis three days a week. On her “off” days, it’s so good for her to get out and do something vacation-ish. They had never driven up Piedra Road, and it was great for them to get way back in the mountains instead of just sitting on the patio and looking at them.

Our vacation is winding down. It’s been a good one, despite the challenges of illness, sprained ankle and somewhat whiney teenagers. I think they have learned a little bit about what it means to leave your own agenda at the door, and do something for someone else. I can’t say they have learned the lesson with an enormous amount of grace, nor have they refrained from some grumbling, but they’ve done pretty well. I miss the days when it was so easy to please them. But I think I am less concerned about pleasing them these days, and more concerned that they learn how to please other people. Or at least get out of their selfish bubble and think about someone else. So it’s been a good couple of weeks for doing just that. We have two more days, and then we head back to Oklahoma, where it is hot, hot, hot. Ugh.