My wife and I are about four years away from being empty nesters but after almost a decade of limiting our travels to family trips, we finally took our first vacation sans the kiddies a few weeks ago, and I must say, it was a pleasant look at what our life may be in the not-too-distant future.  

Granted, we were on vacation with none of the quotidian roles and responsibilities that make our lives hectic, but what was most refreshing was how much we enjoyed just hanging out with each other all day like we used to, doing nothing except working out and having breakfast in the morning, lounging by the pool all day, taking long walks around the resort and drinking margaritas on the rocks with salt.

It was a nonstop flow of margaritas, with Centenario tequila, from about mid-morning until we went to bed at night.  We took timeout for wine during dinner but picked it back up after dessert (Well, I did cheat with a few Coronas from time to time during the day and scotch after dinner, but my wife was all in on the margaritas!).  

It came to a point by poolside, where our waiter, Cesar, started bringing us four margaritas at a time.  He said, "One to quench your thirst, the other to sip and enjoy."  I guess he was getting tired of running back and forth to get us the same drink!

The most surprising thing of all this was no hangover!  We got up every day well rested and ready for a little morning frolic, working out and more margaritas. (Of course, one night I zonked out as my wife was talking to me!  We also zonked out during a his and her massage one afternoon after many margaritas.) 

It was a 4-night stay at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Resort, an all-inclusive resort about an hour from Cancun and fifteen minutes from Playa de Carmen in Mexico.  My wife won the trip last year through Beachbody and we left it until the last weekend before it expired to go. 

It actually worked out perfectly since it coincided with our 24th Wedding Anniversary and between my birthday, a few days before the trip, and my wife's birthday a couple of weeks after.  So, it was God's perfect timing (Little did we know, I would get unexpected news upon my first day back to work, but that's for a different blog).    

In any case, my wife and I always made a point of making time to go out on dates, trips (including 5 weeks after our first daughter was born) or out with friends without the kids when we first got married and it continued up until the kids started having a social life of their own and crazy busy baseball and dance schedules.  

Most of the time nowadays, we are running on fumes, and aside from get-togethers with friends on occasions, we usually prefer staying home and relaxing on weekends.  But the much needed "us" time has suffered in the process.  

Well, just like the marriage retreats we do once a year to recharge our wedlock batteries (although we missed the last one and the previous year was canceled because of Covid), the four days and nights of margaritas on the rocks with salt were a jolt that we really needed.  

It crystalized how much we enjoy being together and made us think, as my wife mentioned one day while enjoying our favorite libation, served by our favorite bartender, Cesar, in one of the tiki huts on the on the water (No, really, there were several Cesars at the resort!  Either that or they all say their name is Cesar not to confuse the Americans) and feeling the cool breeze from between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea on our faces and hair, what our life could be like once the nest is empty.  We vowed to take an all-inclusive vacation once a year from now on.  God is great!...   

 

Posted by
Labels: Anniversary Life Love Marriage Mexico Parenting Vacation
0

Add a comment

It was 1965. The family set off on an intercontinental cruise aboard the SS United States from New York to Madrid, filled with anticipation and excitement.

Several days into their voyage, the ship hit turbulent weather. The storm descended upon the ocean liner with ferocity, rattling the ship and its seasoned crew. Waves towered over both sides of the vessel, lifting the ship up and plunging it into the sea.

The passengers were confined indoors—all except a curious 10-year-old boy, who wandered away from his parents and three brothers and somehow made it onto the deck.

As he opened the door and stepped outside, a large wave pummeled the ship. The boy lost his footing on the wet floor and started sliding as the waves continued their relentless assault.

“In this monument. there is a soul. A soul. And we feel that when we enter now. We feel that,” said Philippe Jost, President of the public establishment for the conservation and restoration of the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, in an interview with 60 Minutes’ Bill Whitaker.

Jost's observation was very astute. A soul is what gives a person life, animating our humanity.

It started with my daughter’s Mini Cooper. She said the brakes failed while driving in heavy traffic after leaving work in Miami Beach, and she rear-ended another car. Nothing happened to her, thank God! Nothing really happened to the car, or at least, nothing I could see. But I drove it home after going to the scene of the “crash” to make sure the brakes were alright, and I took it to the shop to be checked out. Sure enough, the mechanic said the car needed new brake pads and rotors.

Aristotle once said, "nature abhors a vacuum," which came to mind recently as I reflect on how politics has become a religion for far too many, particularly during the heat of a presidential campaign. 

In the absence of God, human nature tends to turn to what St. Thomas Aquinas identifies as the four substitutes for God—wealth, pleasure, power, and honor.

"Carlos, if I had eight more like you, I'd be a happy man."

Those were the words my high school baseball coach said to me one day during my senior year in 1982. Now, more than forty years later, I still remember them.  

That's the impact that kind words can have on a young man and it's a reflection of the character that my coach embodied throughout his life.  

Coach Dunk, as he was known by his ballplayers and assistants, was a players' coach. A man's man, who was genuine through and through.

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."  -- Mark Twain

My son and I have always had a great relationship. They say boys tend to be closer to their moms and girls closer to their dads. That may be true on a spiritual level in our household, but on a more practical and tangible sense, that doesn't seem to fit reality.

I wasn't looking for a relationship.

I was at point in my life where I was getting over a failed relationship, and I was enjoying spending time on my own without any attachments.

I had returned to my parents' house. What can I say? I'm Cuban! A man in his early 30's moving back home doesn't have the same negative connotations among Hispanics as it does in American culture.

Silence.

The only noise was the humming of an air conditioning unit in the background and the thoughts that formed quietly in my head.

Uncomfortable? It can be, especially at first.

Revealing?  Without a doubt.

"Strange, isn't it?  Each man's life touches so many other lives.  And when he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"  -- Clarence, It's a Wonderful Life. 

It was a lesson George Bailey had to learn the hard way.  

Unfortunately, it's a lesson, we often have to learn as well.   

This week, I was rattled by the news that an old high school friend, Tony, died unexpectedly.    

The news came about a week after another high school friend, Ana, also passed away.

My wife and I are about four years away from being empty nesters but after almost a decade of limiting our travels to family trips, we finally took our first vacation sans the kiddies a few weeks ago, and I must say, it was a pleasant look at what our life may be in the not-too-distant future.
Popular Posts
Popular Posts
Welcome to Living the Faith on a High Wire...
Welcome to Living the Faith on a High Wire...
This blog is basically what the title suggests, my attempts at living the Catholic faith to the best of my abilities.
I write about my struggles as a husband, father, son, brother and Christian man.
From a faith standpoint, I also write about my observations, interests, videos, and things that catch my attention, as well as, celebrities that are trying to live their religious beliefs in the public eye.
I refer to it as life on a high wire because those of us who are trying to live our faith in today's culture are are walking a fine line over a precipice between two worlds; what our faith teaches and we know in our hearts and what the society accepts and expects us to accept.
God, religion and Christianity, especially Catholicism, have been under constant attack and this is my small way of fighting back.
I often use humor and poke fun at myself but am also serious when I have to be.
I'm not an expert or pretend to be. I'm just a lay Catholic who is living and learning, as I go, like many others.
So, feel free to browse, get to know me better and, if you feel compelled, leave a comment...

About Me
About Me
My Photo
Born in Oriente, Cuba, raised in Hialeah, Fl and graduated from The U. I’m a husband, father, son and older brother. I was a lapsed Catholic for most of my life until attending a men’s spiritual retreat in April 2006, which totally changed my perspective on life. That weekend, the emptiness I had always tried to fill with the things our culture promises will make us happy (wealth, pleasure, power and honor; St. Thomas Aquinas’ 4 substitutes for God), was filled with the love of God. I have been passionately studying my faith and, hopefully, drawing closer to God ever since. Now, I see my purpose in life is to become a saint and to lead my wife and kids to heaven. It’s not easy! I am no expert by any means. I'm just learning and trying to live my faith to the best of my abilities.
Blog Archive
Blog Archive
Books I Have Recently Read...
Books I Have Recently Read...
  • Long Shot by Mike Piazza with Lonnie Wheeler
  • The Protestant's Dilemma by Devin Rose
  • Jacob's Ladder; 10 Steps to Truth by Peter Kreeft
  • Absolute Relativism: The New Dictatorship and What to do About it by Chris Stefanick
  • Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love by Bret Baier
  • The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt
  • The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
  • Confessions of a Mega Church Pastor by Allen Hunt
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Be A Man! Becoming The Man God Created You to Be by Fr. Larry Richards
  • Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life by Charles J. Chaput
  • Raising Good Kids Back to Family Basics by Ray Guarendi
  • The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
  • The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J. M. Nouwen
  • How Firm a Foundation by Marcus Grodi
  • First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity by Scott Hahn
Loading
Dynamic Views theme. Powered by Blogger. Report Abuse.