quan·da·ry/ˈkwänd(ə)rē/Noun
1. Perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation: "heidi is in a quandary".
2. A difficult situation; a practical dilemma.Ugh.
This summer my Grandfather is turning 80. The family is getting together for a reunion/birthday celebration of sorts at a location that is approximately an 11 hour drive (not counting stops) from here. My Grandfather is also in the early stages of Alzheimers or Dementia (hasn't been determined which, yet, I guess) so this could be the last chance I have to see him while he's still lucid and knows who I am.
A trip of this magnitude will not be cheap. We can stay with family for most of the trip with 1 or two nights at a campground or hotel. But gas? Oy. Plus all the other expenses that come with road trips. It would mean taking $1,000 from our tax return and putting it on the trip.
I'm not close to my grandparents but I do love them. They're my grandparents! I would like to see my grandpa before he doesn't know who I am anymore. The problem is I feel like I'm stealing from my family to do it.
Sis needs two teeth pulled and a spacer put in. We need a new vehicle. We need to pay off the hospital and our credit card. If we go on the trip, 1 or more of these things will not get done.
So what do I do? The kids would have a blast on the trip and, as a bonus, I would get to see my best friend from when I was 12 that my oldest daughter is named after. I don't really get along with most of my family and whenever there's a get together it ends in drama and people not speaking to each other. If we go on the trip then other things that need done will have to be put on hold for an indefinite amount of time. But it might be the last chance I have to see my grandpa.
Ugh.
What would you do??
Posts
16 comments:
In my experience, regrets after someone is gone are very hard to live with I say go.
My family is full of every kind of drama. It grows exponentially when we add both families and steps. Again, my kids seem to be immune to the drama as long as I act like a grown up they don't pay much attention to the other idiots. They will thank you for the trip of a lifetime and the experience of knowing great grandparents when they are adults.
Bills are awful. Last night listening to the president I wondered if we were living in the same country. He says the recession is almost over I'm thinking it's just starting to kick in for us. I just read all the things one family is doing to go on a mission trip debt free. They are pretty inventive. You may already be doing what they are doing but it might help. If I can find the link, I'll pass it on.
Good luck. Doesn't being the grown up suck?
Found it. After I reread it, I'm sure you're already there but the comments section is chockful of happy thrifty links.
http://jonesbones5.com/2011/01/14/january-freeze/
Praying for you.
I would go. It may not be as expensive as you think. We drive to MN every summer; staying 4 nights in hotels and still come in under $1000.
Oh, girl that's a tough one.
Two years ago, I traveled across the freakin' country w/my (then) 3 kids and parents to see my grandfather for his 80th. I almost didn't go because being in the car w/my parents AND kids and driving from FL to ID and back was not appealing. BUT, I sucked it up and went and it was wonderful. The kids still talk about it.
I guess, if it's just the bills then screw it. You can make memories on the trip w/your kids and that's priceless. The bills will always be there. However, if it's the vehicle and dental work, I might have to put more thought into it.
Good luck!
Dude. It's gonna take you two full days to get there. Hah!
Where is grandpa? I cannot remember.
That is a hard decision, but I think I would go! Besides the fact that it may the last time you get to see your grandfather, I think letting your kids see him again and/or meet him for the first time is so worth the money! Good luck making your decision:)
The bills will still be there, grandpa might not. Sounds cold, I know, but family is important. Do everything you can to cut costs on the trip and it will work out. Anyway, just my .02 worth.
I don't know. Only you know what is best in your situation. Pray about it, and I will pray for you!!!!
I would go see grandpa. You have forever to pay for everything else.
Take the trip. Family memories are worth so much more than the money you'll use to get there. The bills will be there when you return. :)
I am not a traveller at all. So my first instinct was to tell you to stay home. LOL I would choose home over a trip anyday. But...family and investing time in people is really all that matters. Everything else is secondary...so go. Have a great time and enjoy
Do you have the option of flying out (maybe just with the baby) just for the reunion. I think 1 plane ticket would be cheap if you stayed with family while you were there. That way you could go just for a couple of days and not be there long enough for a ton of family drama and it would be cheaper. Just a thought. :o)
Yep, I would go. I wasn't able to see my grandpa before he died, and I regret it. There's not much I can do now except tell you to go!
I would go. Not many kids get to meet their great grandparents. I don't think it would be taking from your family either - one thing may go unpaid a little longer than you would like, but the memory of this trip would last forever.
Some of my favorite memories as a child are of the road trip that my brother and I took with my father. He would just toss us in the car and drive. We would be gone for days and loved every minute of it (except for the parts that we hated - but those I hardly remember :)
For one of our longest trips my father bought us a note book and every stop we wrote in it - how far/long we drove, where we stopped, what we saw, etc. It was a great way to keep us occupied and get us looking for fun things to write about (even if they were seemingly minor things like an odd looking McDonald's or a funny man on a motorcycle).
I would go. You will regret not seeing your Grandpa again (in good health) if you don't.
Go see Grandpa.
Post a Comment