It Takes Two

This morning we packed up our car, our two dogs and our family and set out for Rochester, New York. The route we take requires us to drive through Canada, so there is always those anxious moments at the border where you hand over your passport with the unflattering photo that no longer looks anything like you and hope that you are not chosen to pull aside and be searched. We have not had any problems in the 7 or 8 years we have been traveling to see our friends for some summer time fun and I am hoping that today is no different.

You might be asking yourself the same thing I asked myself this morning as I showered. Why would anyone in their right mind climb in a car for a 7 hour ride with the same people that have been testing her patience and driving her bug wacky. Well, people sometimes you will do just about anything if it means a chance to get away and especially if it means spending time with good friends that you enjoy being with!

I decided this morning that I would not go to the back of the car to see that the car was packed properly. This normally is where my husband and I generally have our irritation with each other. I like everything loaded into the car in a concise manner with every spot used in a way that keeps items from shifting or falling out when the hatch is opened up. My husband believes that he is quite organized enough and piles things in such a way that I wince and end up reorganizing the whole mess. You are now imagining how much he appreciates my “help”. Everything you are thinking is correct, our trips most often start with this difference of opinion and it’s not a great jumping off point for a long car ride. This is why I chose to back off this morning. In the end all that really matters is that everyone’s belongings arrive at our destination. This concession was a big (huge) step for me!

I honestly know as the old saying goes “It takes two to tango” and by my stepping back and not flexing my car packing muscles we were able to set out with a happy car. My not pushing a small agenda helped keep everyone in a half way decent mood. My hope is that if I continue to check my own backyard (so to speak) I can avoid any altercations and this can be a nice weekend away. This will be our last weekend with our middle daughter, who heads back to college next Friday. I want her to have good memories of our time together and not run to school to escape our loony bin. A girl can dream can’t she?

So in about 5 short hours we will be hugging our friends and unloading our car. I will avoid lurking at the back of the car and judging what tumbles out. It’s not important in the end, we can skip the feisty tango and just enjoy our time away regardless of who is right…at least for this trip (insert big smirky smile here!).