There has not been a lack of positive stuff going on in my life, and I definitely have plenty to say but finding the right words and positive stories to share has been tough lately. I’m not sure where my writing inspiration has gone, but I think it has something to do with my inability to keep up with all the craziness around me. Lacking a routine has caused a shortage of concentration when I sit down to type.

So I thought I would share a few cool insights from the last few weeks.

When your washing machine breaks, there are two things that make it all better. 1. A mom that shares her washer with you and even takes time to dry and fold the clothes. 2. A local handyman named Joe with a terrific sense of humor and just enough sass to make you feel like you actually helped when in reality he was the one who did all the hard stuff.

When your son is too excited to change out of his school uniform because he wants to get going on vacation, let him wear the uniform. It pays to have a hoodie on him when it is unexpectedly cold on your trip.

Leaving immediately after your kids get out school for a 14-hour vacation drive is stressful but forces you to get into a summer-vacation frame of mind.

When your friend wants an authentic Florida palm tree, and she tries to convince the slightly tipsy men in your party to dig one up with a plastic beach shovel, go ahead and agree to drive them in the golf cart after dark. It makes a for a great story later. P.S. Tell the quizzical passers-by that your friends are considering buying the vacant lot and “There is nothing to see here” ( do not mention their attempts to uproot a palm tree with a plastic shovel). The passers-by will look at you incredulously and slowly walk away. Their reactions will cause severe distress as you try to hold in laughter and your friends to fall over themselves to avoid being seen.

When your friend tries to dig up an authentic Florida palm tree with a plastic beach shovel, be prepared to buy your son a new, even better shovel, and enjoy the smile on his face as he forgets about the smaller one that was left in a vacant lot next to a palm tree that is still in its original location.

When your son announces after the 14-hour car ride home that it was, “A nice, little drive,” and hops out of the car leaving a trail of granola bar wrappers and Cheetos behind, say a prayer of thanks that you made it home and that the mess is completely cleanable…. later.

When your 12-year old demands opportunities to make some spending money, give her those opportunities. Make her a list. Give her a dollar amount for how much she can earn doing each task and tell her she has the weekend to finish it. Don’t worry too much about her walking away with your life savings, because after approximately 7 tasks being complete, she will forget her ambition and ditch the to-do’s for Snap Chat.

When your 12-year old does not complete all of the chores on the list to earn spending cash over the weekend, you have a terrific list of things already made to keep her busy during the week.

While I may not have been successful in putting together one post with one clear positive intent, hopefully you found some joy in these insights and can use these uplifting suggestions to make your summer vacation a success.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Be sure to comment with any the lessons you have learned in the last few weeks, maybe we can come up with some focus for a great new post.