So, today’s topic for Day 14 is “describe the last moment you felt truly blissful”.
I’ll admit it took me some time to think through this one. Which made me wonder about “bliss”. Is it something we can experience all the time or only occasionally. If “bliss” happens often does that alleviate the definition of bliss? I don’t know…I’m still going to work on that one and share my answer in instead.
So, its been a long time since we took a real family vacation, all 4 of us, on a plane and on a full week long trip together off somewhere. My sister and I went on an awesome week long trip to Italy…that was bliss. My mom and sister and I took a week long trip to Philadelphia. But, Larry, he never made the trip…I’m thinking he likes the week with less estrogen in his world.
But, this summer, we took two back to back trips and picked up a little brother along the way. After a week in Washington DC, we surprised my sister and showed up in San Diego…she had no idea we were there…it was bliss and a little measure of perfection.
Back over memorial day weekend when I was home, my sister’s boyfriend asked me to meet him for lunch because he wanted to talk to me. Well, that pit that kicks in for the dad when he hears the same statement happened to me. I met him and during our convo, he told me how much my sister means to him and that he wanted to marry her and wanted to ask my permission. Score a point for Zak! He had already met with my mom and dad and had a plan, but it wouldn’t work if I couldn’t be involved.
So, the week after we were to go to Washington DC, she was supposed to fly to San Diego with his family for a week in their favorite family vacation spot. And, while they were there he wanted to “pop the question”. But, he wanted the 3 of us to be there to see it all and celebrate together. So, we devised a plan.
It was a great. We spent a whole week together and no one let it slip. I was super impressed that there were no awkward moments and nothing slipped. Event flying in and out of the same cities on the same days, we stayed away from each other.
What I loved in that time together were the moments I shared with mom and dad, just the 3 of us. Its been a long time…well, 26 years, since its been just the 3 of us and it was fun to just spend some one-on-one time with my mom and dad. All the while knowing we were there to celebrate a moment my sister and I have waited for all her life.
And, as we waited in hiding by the beach while his family all got in place and called us down. I’ll never forget her face when he turned her around to see us and she said “my family” and then frantically searched the rail line until she found me (I had a camera in my face so I was standing away from my family) and said “my sister” and then he got on his knee with the water crashing on the rocks around him and asked her to marry him.
It was a beautiful moment. And bliss came from remembering what’s most important in life. I wanted to hit pause and just take all those moments in for ever…the smell of the beach…the lighting of sunset, the tears on my cheeks, the smiles on all our faces and the beginning of her dreams coming true.
As a big sister, your job is to live as an example for your little sister and then to do everything you can to help create the perfect life for her. The life you talk about in sheet tents on Friday nights and over cartoons on Saturday morning. In between the fights when I was “babysitting” her. In the journals you sneak and read from each other and in our Saturday night slumber parties where I always fell asleep before we finished talking. I love that girl and I’m stoked that in just a few days I get to stand beside her….but between now and then I’m expecting some not so blissful last minute planning!
