Kindness. The definition of Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. A kind of act.
When I think of kindness, it’s typically how I treat others; I raise my children to be kind to others and to remember that while people can forgive, they never forget. So it’s essential to be kind and considerate. I never think much about being kind to myself. That seems vain when thinking about it, but it is necessary to remember that you can not take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself first.
So I was kind to myself. I took a trip to Jamaica to see calm waters, friendly people, eat jerk chicken, and feel the sun on my skin. Not only had it been six years since my last trip to Jamaica but seven years since my husband (Bobby) and I took a vacation together alone; no kids, no friends, and no pets. So not only was I trying to be kind to myself, but Bobby and I decided we deserved this to refuel our souls.
Having five kids is a wild ride that I would never change, but it was nice to take a pitstop. Our flights may have been delayed, and our arrival and departure changed several times, but we made it there and back.
Bobby and I joke that Jamaica is our soul home. No idea what that means in definition terms, but to us, it means all the worries in the world are lifted. You will often hear the phrase “No Problem” in Jamaica. One of the servers at the beach said that Jamaicans live by that phrase. Once you start saying it enough, it just becomes your life. Nothing is a problem you can not handle. At the same time, it’s easy for me to say “no problem,” while in Jamaica, it resonates.
Having the time to think our own thoughts while enjoying the sun warm us, and hearing the simple waves on the sand and rocks was incredibly relaxing and much needed for us.
We had no agenda, plan, or anyone to answer to, and we even got to take naps on the beach. It sounds so minimal but refueling our souls was necessary and worth it. I hope it doesn’t take another seven years for Bobby and me to take another trip alone and recharge. I want to thank all our friends and family who made the trip possible by covering all the kid’s needs. Extra thankful for and a huge shout out to my parents, who held down the Sponsel House and all the shenanigans that came with that. I am sure there were plenty.
