“Don’t blink” they said.
We heard it everywhere we went on our family vacation to Florida.
I heard it from the guy sitting next to me on the plane as I rummaged through my carry on for goldfish and coloring books.
Jordan heard it from the couple at the pool as she frantically scrambled to equip the kids with sunscreen and floaties.
I heard it from a grandmother on the beach who saw me hauling bags, chairs, and sandy toys.
We heard it from couples on the sidewalk who passed by our giggling gang of training wheels and strollers.
We heard it from my parents as we reminisced on our own family vacations when I was a little kid.
I know it’s a common cliche that older folks offer to young parents, but each person who said it seemed to really feel it.
Sometimes they provided their own nostalgic story or a proud account of where their kids are today. Sometimes they just paused and looked as if they were transported from their peaceful poolside cocktail to a moment as stressed young parents scrambling with their own sunscreen and floaties.
Part of them seemed glad to have graduated to greener pastures. Part of them seemed to miss the chaos. But they all seemed to sum up these complex feelings with two simple words, “Don’t Blink.”
In the chaotic moments, there was too much going on to respond with anything profound. All I could come up with is an “I’ll try” or “I hear ya” or some type of open-ended question about their kids to buy myself some extra time to focus on finding the goldfish.
But now that I’ve had a chance to look back on the pictures and reflect on the trip, I’ll use these “Don’t Blink” reminders as motivation to do the following;
First, I’ll savor the moments. I’ll try to soak in all the joy that comes with the chaos. Capture the memories. Recognize that I’m currently living in the “good old days.”
Avoid pressing fast forward…
to a time when my kids are more self-sufficient on the travel days. Try to savor the excitement they express when they see a plane take off.
Avoid pressing fast forward to a time when the kids can safely swim on their own. Try to savor that adorable look of crooked goggles and puddle jumpers and the squeal that you hear right before they splash into the water.
Avoid pressing fast forward to a time when I get to relax on my beach chair and complete an uninterrupted conversation. Savor the fun of running away from the incoming tide, digging a hole, and filling up buckets of sand.
Avoid pressing fast forward to a time of relaxing meals without kids whining about who gets to sit next to Mimi. Try to savor all of the meals that my kids will get to share with their Mimi and Pop Pop.
“Don’t blink” also reminds me to take care of my future self.
30 years ago, these people who now say “Don’t blink” were probably the young parents that older folks said it to.
They probably struggled to picture themselves in the lives and under the circumstances they have today. But here they are.
And now that they’re here, they’re probably damn glad they invested in their health, relationships, and wealth in the preceding decades the way that they did.
I just spent a week watching my parents and their friends living their best life as Florida snowbirds. Their daily decisions seem to be:
Work or play? Tennis or pickleball? Pool or beach? Swim with the grandkids or go out for a round of golf with friends? Dinner downtown or happy hour by the Cabana? SPF 30 or 50?
So if I want to be living my best life and be faced with these same daily decisions in my 60s, I’d better do the things I need to do today to give myself a chance at that lifestyle.
Because in the blink of an eye, Jordan and I might be fortunate enough to one day find ourselves in a pool or by a cabana or on the tennis court free to do whatever we want. And when we see that young family scrambling with sun screen or floaties, I’m sure it’ll bring us back to those special vacations to North Naples visiting Mimi and Pop Pop.
And with a smile on our face (and maybe a tear in our eye) we’ll offer the young parents a simple suggestion: “Don’t Blink.”
For a highlight reel of the trip:
The Janiec Reflection 