We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

It is no secret that our children's birthdays are connected to sorrowful moments in our life. Piper's birthday weekend almost two years ago now, was the time we found out that mom was sick with colon cancer. I battle sadness during this time and fight it with all I've got, because our daughter deserves to have a birthday filled with happiness. This year we decided to ask her what she would like to do, and she said, go on a trip. I very thoughtfully came up with the idea to go to Yellowstone National Park. My mother was a summer tour guide there and she loved it. We visited Yellowstone often when we were children, and I have some of my fondest memories of her from those times.
So, in the essence of everything my mother was and everything I know she would do, I will be the best damn tour guide my family has ever seen. I have started preparing our household by leaving informational packets all through the house with pictures of wildlife and hot springs. I am going to turn this frown of a day upside down and celebrate my mom through the joy in my kids eyes the first time they see a buffalo or watch old faithful shoot off.
Time has taught me that we have control over how we feel and what we do with those feelings. I really thought I was never going to be able to feel happiness around my children's birthdays. My husband and I even toyed with switching things up and celebrating half birthdays so that we didn't associate sorrow with their special days. Those symbolic days now represent a strong reminder to live life as fully as we can, to celebrate their spirits and allow them to be a part of our children's very happy birthdays.
We will not be traveling to escape life, we just don't want life to escape us.