Day 19: Oceanside Admin Day, Owens birthday party, and Pedro.
My hope came true… on the heels of a bustling and busy Legoland day, today we chilled. We spent the day with no schedule. Tara asked me “what’s the plan.” I told he we didn’t have one. We started the day building some of the Legos we acquired yesterday at legoland. Went to the park and pool, and got a few things done we have been shooting for since starting the trip…like washing and vacuuming a cubic ton of goldfish crackers and other various snacks out of Big Red the Nissan NV. So much disgustingness… but now, thankfully, it’s gone for good… until the next car ride over 15 minutes long anyway.
Next we went to Walmart to get a few things so we could officially celebrate Owens birthday, albeit belated. Got him a cake, a present, and some little decorations for a campsite birthday party. Owen and Luke napped In the van and Tara waited with them.
While looking around with Lillian, Eleanor, Caroline, and Wyatt I saw a guy smiling and watching us (nothing creepy.) When he saw that I noticed him he said, smiling “I had the opposite… three boys and a girl.” “I actually have two more boys in the car sleeping” I said. He smiled and patted my shoulder… “god bless you” he said. And not in a “bless your heart” condescending kinda way. We chatted about kids for a minute, then we parted and finished shopping.
When it was time to pay I found myself in line behind him, and my kids rushed to the ice cream by the checkout stand, loudly talking about what they wanted, and crowding his space. I tried shushing them, and told them we’d get ice cream later. Then I told them we could go buy a box of ice cream sandwiches, but we’d have to get out of line. Then the man, who told me his name was Pedro, turned and asked me my name. I told him. He reached out to shake my hand and said again “you sure are blessed” and pressed a $20 bill into my hand. “This is for ice cream for your kids.” I told him I couldn’t take it, but how kind the gesture was. He insisted, and told me how long it has been since he bought his own kids ice cream. His eyes welled up as we spoke. He reminded me that the days can be long but the years fly by, and to appreciate the moments. He told me how sweet and well behaved my kids were. I accepted his kind and generous gesture, and thanked him again. The kids did too. I appreciated (and needed) his perspective just as much as his gesture of buying my kids ice cream. After days like yesterday, and there have been a few, (i.e. chasing screaming kids who everyone in the park seems to know by the end of the day)…… it was a good reminder to focus on life’s blessings more than the silly little frustrations. We spoke a little more about his family. He told me about his brother, a former POW, who returned to tend to the family farm in Puerto Rico but died after Hurricane Maria. He told me he retired from the Air Force. I wish we had more time to chat, but after a few minutes we went our separate ways. Before he left, Pedro agreed to take a pic with us so I could show Tara… and everyone.
When we set out on this trip I wanted to do a random act of kindness in every place we stopped. We prayed as a family to take this blessing of being able to take a trip like this and look for ways to show Gods love and bless others along the way. While we have done a couple RAKs, I have fallen far short of my goal. Along the way, however, we have received blessing after blessing… met kind person after kind person. We’ve seen God present and abundant everywhere we have been. I hope to find a good way to pay forward Pedro’s act of kindness, and many others. I’ll be on the lookout. Thanks again Pedro, and everyone else.
We ended the day celebrating Owens birthday with cake, (which i wrote on because there were no bakery people and i don’t want to hear about my cake decorating skills) a swim, and finally some great pizza. Moving north to San Clemente area tomorrow for more fun family time with my aunt, uncle and cousins.
Feeing super fortunate and blessed for this time we have had as a family.
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