“Oh, we ain’t got a barrel of money,
Maybe we’re ragged and funny
But we’ll travel along
Singing a song
Side by side.”~ Harry Woods, 1925
The above song has been made famous…
over and over again by various groups.
I remember it best sung by the Osmonds…
in footage shown from when they were little.
It definitely describes the traveling group…
of my brother, Tim, sister-in-law, Nancy…
and three of our combined children.
My nephew Nicholas…
was turning 16.
Son #1 had six months prior.
Son #2 and the others were tight…
Nancy and Tim had known one another since Jr. High.
They decided to traverse the Atlantic to celebrate.
It was one of three fabulous trips…
Tim and our two oldest boys did together.
were living in London where Peter worked.
Nancy had a friend stationed at The Salvation Army’s…
International Headquarters.
She, Nicholas and Son #1 would stay there.
Son #2 and Tim bunked with the Marinaces.
This was clearly a “close-to-no-budget” trip…
in many ways.
Housing? Check.
A huge expediture covered.
My only reservation was the traveling piece.
You see, my brother Tim…
was an incredibly “lucky” individual.
He could jiggle the gumball machine handle…
and empty the machine.
His math prowess…
coupled with a phenomenal memory…
once help a friend win thousands…
at a Blackjack table in Vegas.
But when it came to travel…
look out.
This was travel of all types.
At times, even being on foot was sketchy.
He had been on a plane with a confirmed bomb…
was notorious for being seated…
next to every kook on the planet…
bumped one time for a week and stranded in a seedy motel…
the list goes on and on.
“I can’t believe that I’m sending you across the Atlantic with two of my children,”…
I told him on a visit prior to the trip.
“Yes, it is definitely an act of bravery,” he replied.
Despite our banterings off they went!
Upon landing in London:
“Hello, Mom?”
It was Son #1.
“Um, well…
I fell asleep on the plane…
and the stewardess threw away my retainers.”
Just that quickly we were an extra $500 down.
My brother was quick to grab the phone.
“I feel terrible.
If it’s any consolation…
he searched through every bag of garbage for our section…
on an international flight…
while some wack-job woman practiced various yoga poses…
over the back, up and around my seat.
She brought her own meals in carry on luggage…
and prepared them on her tray table as well.
I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
I’m used to reports like this.
Steeling myself against this turn of events…
I managed inquire of him…
“Can you try and maintain some sense of parental responsibility?”
Arrogant and rude, I know…
but at times, necessary when you’re the “big sister.”
“I’ll do my best. Promise.”
He did better than best, actually.
Two days later…
our father suffered a heart attack.
We decided to forego telling the travelers…
as he was stable, and there was simply nothing they could do.
Then London was bombed.
Someone on the East Coast phoned us at 5:00 a.m.
We had just recently moved…
and had no media input to our house.
I phoned the Marinaces.
My darling brother…
in all actuality a pillar of responsibility…
had been seated by that phone for hours…
knowing I would call in tears.
It rang 1/2 a time.
” Teri, we’re fine,”
were the first words out of his mouth.
They had actually been on The Tube…
which is London’s form of public travel…
just 9 hours before.
Feeling especially jet lagged and tired…
they decided to sleep in…
and forego their morning trip…
which would’ve had them right in the heart of London.
Here’s my point.
Life is messy…
short…
and lots of the time quite inconvenient.
What you do with it…
is what matters and makes or breaks the quality.
“Ifs”, “Ands”, “Buts”…
and the constant temptation to have “ducks in a row”…
often stymie us from living in the now.
Seizing the moment…
and celebrating what you have…
often produces “never-to-be-duplicated again” results.
It’s a definite lesson…
that bears the effort of keeping to the forefront of daily life.
Here are but a few of their experiences.
Wimbledon.
Excellent seats, tons of experience.
Thank you, Eileen Bobbitt…
who lived in London for over 20 years…
and told them how to work the ropes…
while others waited in ridiculous lines outside.
V-Day…
where the Queen…
(yes, they took this picture and were this close)…
honored WWII veterans…
from every country…
in a very moving outside-in-the-park ceremony…
complete with fly-by…
and a dropping of the “poppies.”
(Yes, they brought some home.)
The Queen unveiled…
this beautiful memorial to WWII Women.
They went to museums.
The Globe.
Explored and honored ours and Nancy’s families..
Salvation Army history.
They got to experience the then-newly-built Churchill Museum.
And, according to them, saw Uncle Tim in action…
as his teaching, challenging, mentoring prowess took over!
They walked and talked…
celebrated…
and experienced.
Life.
Friendship.
History.
Seizing the moment.
Suzanne is not to be underestimated…
as I have previously told you!
They got to go to the Hard Rock Cafe…
with a twist.
Suzanne knew the individual in charge…
of rotating memorabilia.
Down into the archives they went…
to experience first hand…
instruments owned and played by famous individuals.
This happens to be Jimi Hendrix guitar.
If I listed all of the experiences…
it would take 5 posts!
The takeaway?
(And I’m preaching to the choir here)…
Experience the present…
because it will become the future…
and often the circumstances in between…
dictate that things will, indeed, be different.
Money, convenience, and safety…
are at times definite traps…
to the rewards of seizing the moment…
any moment…
to walk side by side…
enriching relationships…
with those we love.
May we seize some today!
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