If you asked me what book I was reading on any given vacation, I’m pretty sure I could tell you. I could probably even tell you about some favorite secondhand book stores that I’ve come across in my travels. Where Barry likes to seek out gear to rent, I like to find books to buy and devour.
I still remember needing to leave behind a very favorite book in Australia from author Paullina Simons. I loved it so much, the characters, I wrote a note and left it in the book for the next person that would read it.
It came as no surprise that we’d do the same thing with our girls, find books and gear to bring along on our trip. We found a divine secondhand shop and discovered some books to bring along, for a rock bottom price!
As we were leaving, we were approached by a very friendly old man, with the biggest eyebrows I’ve ever seen in my life. He asked where we ‘got’ our accents from and told us how much he loved seeing our kids, both itching to read their new books, excited about actual paper books.
He shared that he and his wife still read aloud to one another and that they even went to see animated films just to make sure they’d laugh, because laughter, he said, was what mattered in life. He chatted to us quite a bit about life, children and the importance of spending time together.
His name was William and his words found us on a morning where tantrums about simple tasks happened, and complaints about situations beyond our control almost won out. Big, bushy-eybrowed, William, was awesome and his message was even more so.
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The other day we took the ferry across the harbor to Auckland on rented bikes, it was a very fun and adventurous day. Maggie and I were Team Brave Older Redhead because her mini bike was attached to the back of my bike.
Quite honestly, even though it was my hair-brained plan, I wasn’t sure about tugging her along behind me on a bike through a major city. I kept my doubts to myself because I was certain that she had similar doubts. We’re the same that way, redheads that worry.
We’d loaded onto the ferry and prepared for the 20 minute crossing and kept our helmets on for the duration. Mags and I left Barry and Audrey, Team Younger Twin Faces, and went and found the fresh air. According to Maggie, it was too hot to be inside, so we found seats that sat near the door.
As we sat there by the door, Maggie and I people-watched, a favorite hobby of Team Brave Older Redhead. I noticed an older (and by older, Dad, I mean older than me) couple sitting outside. They were clearly on an adventure, back pack loaded up and chatting away about their day.
Then I looked to their feet, as they crouched on the edge of their seats, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The man had his feet covered in parts of duct tape, covering up blisters from previous days. The man’s sandles looked like my dad’s and his feet looked like my dad’s. Then I noticed that most of him looked like my dad.
My mind wandered to the time we were in Hawaii as a family and we were planning to hike across the volcano, but my dad had cut his foot while boogie boarding. (Maybe this isn’t an exact memory, but that’s how memories of the past go, right?). He was determined to hike the volcano and so covered his foot injury with duct tape that he had on hand.
At the time, it struck me as odd. Who brings duct tape on vacation? My dad. Of course, my dad. And the dude on the ferry.
I’ve had so many times on this trip that I’ve thought of him. When we’d finally settled in to a sense of routine at the Hot Water Beach and Maggie started building things….well, that’s my dad. He just builds things….all the freakin’ time. It’s a special talent of his, to turn something that wasn’t quite beautiful into something more beautiful.
As I sat there on the ferry, in the middle of my way to bike riding in Auckland with Maggie behind me, I thought of all the times that my dad made me feel like I was on his team. Our inside jokes that were really everything and nothing perfectly packaged into one. He always mad me feel special and part of his duct tape ideas…..hiking volcanos and turning nothing into something worth looking at twice.
Before we got off the ferry, I hugged Maggie close and confirmed with her that Team Brave Older Redhead could do hard things.
If we were a generational traveling band, I’d invite my dad to join in on our team. He’d fit right in. Worrying, building things, but he’d have to bring his own duct tape.
Dad, I can’t really apologize for this ‘AWESOME’ picture of you. There are no words for those glasses. None at all. Except maybe I love you.
We are spending as much time as we can at the beach, constantly slathering sun screen, hydrating and dipping ourselves into the ocean until it looks like we need to get out of the sun and head back to our ‘fake home.’
Audrey Bell has experienced the beach, the true beach, a few other times in her life, but not to this extent. We knew that she loved the water, loved the call of the ocean, but we really didn’t know in the way that we maybe should have.
She’s the beachiest of us all, yelling, sprinting, hooting her way around her time at the beach. She usually dons a huge hat and the Buzz Lightyear sunglasses that my parents got for her at Value Village (thanks, Dad).
She loves it and has no fear of too big waves or too much sand.
I love it. I love that she’s part of me because her enthusiasm is entirely infectious.
Should we all be so joyful to experience nature’s beauty.
