For those of you that know Robert and I, you know that we tend to do a lot of traveling. We like to take trips to visit family and enjoy time alone as well. In fact, I don't think we have taken one vacation since we have been married that did not involve going some where, even if it was only for a few days. A lot of people don't understand why we always go somewhere and spend money to do this when we could save it and just relax at home.
It's quite simple really. It has to do with a website that I once came across that gave advise for the caregivers of those diagnosed with HD.
This website recommended that you should make memories with the infected person while you still can and document them with pictures. Then, make a scrapbook of some of the best parts of those memories so that later in life, they can be looked back on and even if the HD person cannot necessarily say it clearly, with the help of the scrapbook, he can share that he is thinking about that time and the fun that was had. I always thought that was a great idea. Plus, that gives you both something to look back on fondly and remember even when things are at their worst.
I took that to heart. I know that there will be a time in the not so distant future that we will no longer be able to travel like we do today. Reality is that there will come a time that Robert will no longer be able to travel anywhere and we will be forced to stay home instead of traveling together like we do today. Today is all we have to make the memories that will sustain us for the rest of lives. Today is our oppourtunity to enjoy time with family and friends and make the memories that we will look back on later fondly.
So, that is why we do it.
Maybe it isn't always the best idea to go somewhere and maybe we should save some of that money for that day that Robert can no longer work or put it back into some repairs that need to be done around the house. Those are great ideas. Robert and I have talked about it many times but we always come back to the same question. Which memory would you rather look back on it 10 years? The time and money you spent on a cruise for your anniversary when you could have used it to replace the carpet in your bedroom or that you put carpet in the bedroom when you could have taken a cruise for your anniversary? What if you knew that there would come a time where you would be replacing the carpet instead of taking a vacation simply because your spouse is no longer able to travel? Would that make a different?
We all have our own answers to these questions and none of them are right or wrong. The point is that we all need to spend a little some time making the memories that will last and mean the most to us. Robert and I will continue to work to make the memories that will last us a lifetime knowing that one day, we will opt to replace the carpet in the bedroom simply because it will be too burdensome for Robert to travel anywhere. We will collect memories and document them today so that we will have something to enjoy tomorrow.
