{"id":1592,"date":"2026-01-02T11:46:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:46:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/?p=1592"},"modified":"2026-01-02T11:46:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:46:30","slug":"the-vacation-that-taught-me-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/?p=1592","title":{"rendered":"The Vacation That Taught Me Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover aligncenter is-light mycontentblock has-medium-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;min-height:153px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"186\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-198 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1024x186.png\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 50%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1024x186.png 1024w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-300x54.png 300w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-768x139.png 768w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1536x279.png 1536w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-2048x372.png 2048w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1320x239.png 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-cover-is-layout-4d396166 wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center my-cover-title has-ast-global-color-8-color has-ast-global-color-5-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-678666ec4a4c59d022457c52a0fc91f6\"><strong>The Vacation That Taught Me Everything<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-74814c2f7591952e125723c1a41327a1\">We agreed my sister-in-law\u2019s family could join our family trip \u2013 only if they paid their own way. Then her husband quit his job and stopped looking for work. I assumed they wouldn\u2019t come. But two weeks ago, my wife told me they\u2019re still coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    atOptions = {\n        'key' : '9e49f4ce267f7bab92bbdb38b733742b',\n        'format' : 'iframe',\n        'height' : 90,\n        'width' : 728,\n        'params' : {}\n    };\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/brillianceremisswhistled.com\/9e49f4ce267f7bab92bbdb38b733742b\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-970e9b619b00fa0a05998165b3480b07\">I remember blinking at her, waiting for the punchline. \u201cComing where?\u201d I asked, even though I already knew. She gave me that apologetic smile, the one she uses when she knows she\u2019s about to ruin my day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d3a858f4448555c79ee34a022f0fbc66\">\u201cTo the lake house, with us. All of us. Your parents, our kids, my sister, her husband, and their two boys. They said they\u2019ve been really looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b13e0ad89527683c88e04d0236616edc\">I set my coffee down, harder than I meant to. \u201cThey can\u2019t afford it. That\u2019s why we agreed \u2013 only if they pay their share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9628d52cfe3f415c54ed1332dcc3cf13\">She sat beside me and grabbed my hand. \u201cI know. But they\u2019ve had a hard year. And the kids have never been to the lake. Melissa says this could be the only chance they get for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0a8a2b147d8d4459c636cea3aa110c6b\">Right. Because her husband, Todd, quit his perfectly fine job as a mechanic because he \u201cwanted something more meaningful.\u201d That was three months ago. Since then, he\u2019s been journaling and drinking craft beer in their backyard while the bills pile up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d7cc8c5c66321ea4d17bc7e1e303ef5b\">\u201cDid they pay for anything?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0b6e4f1bf7f6f4796b98e0b1eb64c25e\">She hesitated. That was all the answer I needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1541d5e9fb019f482ba49eac26ef4fc2\">So now, in addition to driving our family six hours to the lake, buying groceries for ten people, and organizing activities, I had to subsidize a free vacation for Todd and his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-28e62f0920427e66ee335635dbcf9bf3\">I didn\u2019t blow up. I wanted to. But our two kids were in the other room, and we had promised ourselves we wouldn\u2019t fight in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6af7e3234b79e5fb5697dd8c1e9ed8dd\">\u201cLet me guess,\u201d I muttered. \u201cWe\u2019re just going to cover it and never say anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ececf16d7ac6b56efe628c18aad045b1\">\u201cThey\u2019ll help where they can. Maybe Todd can grill, or watch the kids so we can have a night walk. It\u2019s just one week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d6dc4ca3bf1a6afeb028480f1786cc00\">I leaned back, biting my tongue. I was already imagining Todd asking me if I brought extra beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bd23c1c6c2243b9993a742f4b38cfd57\">Fast forward two weeks, we\u2019re loading up the SUV, and I\u2019m triple-checking our cooler. My wife is in her usual \u201cwe\u2019re going to be late\u201d mode, zipping from room to room. Our boys are in the back, excited and already arguing over snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5463e9ad44f1fc3589e651bb5644ae30\">Then a second car pulls up \u2013 an older minivan with a busted headlight and a dented side. Melissa steps out with her two boys, and Todd, in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops, saunters out like he\u2019s on the set of a beach movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-629643eaa84e6495b77975e2c32e25fd\">\u201cReady for paradise?\u201d he yells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-86c0748b9e75a2f55e7c1c711b17e828\">I offer a tight smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cdcde7dc992c936d9e3a8a962fbd7829\">The drive is long and full of \u201cAre we there yet?\u201ds and at least two bathroom stops. But we make it. The lake house is beautiful \u2013 calm water, tall trees, fresh air. It\u2019s the kind of place that makes your shoulders drop a little just by being there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b10a192aa7ddad3872ce64db482bf241\">We unpack, and immediately, the dynamics start forming. My wife and her sister chat while watching the kids. I start organizing the kitchen, figuring out who\u2019s eating what. Todd plops himself on a lawn chair with a beer by 4 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4fec92df49ee1f40f9c261fb7ffe4131\">\u201cI\u2019ll take over dinner tomorrow,\u201d he says, without looking up from his phone. \u201cGrill master at your service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-398fa9fe2a4e30801c9949fda2aa7f82\">That night, after getting the kids to bed, I sit with my wife on the porch. I bring up money, again. \u201cGroceries weren\u2019t cheap. You said they\u2019d help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2cd7dd5bdce90b2b188b9e051662bcbf\">\u201cThey will. Just\u2026 not with money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ff43ae429c145bdecaaf6a934ad3b37\">The next few days blend into each other. Todd sleeps in, plays with the kids a little, disappears on solo kayak rides. Melissa helps a bit more \u2013 dishes, putting sunscreen on the kids. My wife tries to keep the peace, but I know she\u2019s stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-500c928b8e8819ca607578643b3aebf7\">I feel like I\u2019m carrying the weight of ten people. Planning meals. Cleaning up. Making sure the boat rentals are returned on time. I try not to snap, but every time I see Todd open a fresh beer he didn\u2019t buy, I have to breathe deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e749d828e933705a073ed5ff94e1c648\">On day four, it rains. Not a drizzle \u2013 a full-on thunderstorm. We\u2019re stuck inside with bored kids and too many adults. The power goes out for three hours. The mood shifts. Todd, surprisingly, takes charge and starts a board game with the kids. He\u2019s actually good at it \u2013 animated, patient, funny. I almost forget how mad I am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2f3124ec93e9f2bdcbe6c8383503611c\">That night, after the storm passes and the power returns, we eat leftovers by candlelight just for fun. Everyone laughs more than usual. For the first time that trip, I feel something close to contentment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-763887ab62529dc6856f1e7834ea38de\">But then comes day five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2dd24b7f42db1230d12e4c243ddf775e\">We\u2019re down by the dock when my wife gets a call. It\u2019s her mom. My father-in-law had a fall at home. Nothing too serious, but enough to shake us. She asks my wife to come back a day early to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8df8285b84e5fc7efc9f8ad2ddecd2ba\">She turns to me after the call. \u201cCan you handle the rest of the trip? Just one night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-40971ebf5502a606c6ef2d47d93e185c\">I nod. She kisses me and leaves with our car, promising to be back by lunchtime the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-56750d1be5e1f0ba128c6e290d050bdb\">Now I\u2019m in charge. Ten people. One car gone. A storm predicted for the evening. And I notice we\u2019re out of milk, bread, and other essentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-42e2b043b4fd381cb7d959b47108e7b6\">I ask Todd if he can drive to the small store down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cc4248e6e0efeb58e8ddd8bdb8e1f321\">\u201cMan,\u201d he says, stretching. \u201cI was actually thinking of taking the kayak out again. Clears my head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-49c299150099bd631fce96b34b1c2b6c\">I just stare at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-324624941496946fc1ab6ce3dfb74a6f\">\u201cUnless you really need me to,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a008986b8e1098861be4164adf7e7b58\">\u201cI do,\u201d I say. \u201cWe\u2019re out of stuff. You\u2019ve got the minivan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9fec3d377f27e8efd3210bdbca87f0e6\">He sighs like I\u2019ve asked him to rebuild the engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3215754cdee21396223eaa7a40df66c2\">\u201cAlright, alright. What do we need?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-470864e6cba9c46043dfbdb222b0efc4\">I hand him the list. He takes it without another word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dfd83837d64e7bd2d9272db54a42a9ca\">An hour passes. Then two. The sun starts dipping. I try calling. No answer. Melissa doesn\u2019t know where he is. The kids are getting hungry, and I\u2019m regretting everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ad2583442599f6024afc5769c3c1e0e9\">Finally, the minivan pulls up. He steps out\u2026 empty-handed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c47906a6185972ae747ef80827fed3c6\">\u201cStore was closed,\u201d he shrugs. \u201cSome power issue. Sorry, man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3b6bd5763663a3d7847a493930cb4389\">I look inside the van. There are no bags. No sign he even tried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7ee24b34b87df19be106c974141e3cc4\">\u201cDid you even go?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f3a8d5b247a1066cec0c16bb805c0723\">He freezes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-094492c7c2317079883d702520642bc0\">\u201cI took a drive. I needed space. Is that a crime?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cff05350d5a638dfde32ab14fbec9557\">Melissa walks out just then, and she sees my face. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-956d1ce5f9b8b84308a97996186e6dd4\">I tell her. I don\u2019t even sugarcoat it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b0dfa01ec122c107dd93d24ec7dd2248\">She turns to Todd, furious. \u201cYou said you were getting groceries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f2a16aad681802aede1ead28a42b0a97\">\u201cI needed a break!\u201d he snaps. \u201cI\u2019m not a robot!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-72c89ef93d282704d35a80426c55b809\">\u201cYou\u2019re not anything lately!\u201d she says, voice rising. \u201cYou quit your job, you barely help at home, and now you can\u2019t even get milk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dc40e9fe88dc215b03bc11ced4c8f520\">The kids are watching. I step between them. \u201cLet\u2019s not do this now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7a477434a243ff0dc3b22f9d376ab865\">But it\u2019s too late. The air is heavy. Todd walks off, muttering. Melissa wipes her eyes and goes inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7d3b9e9882882605f2741b59edd99d32\">I end up making scrambled eggs and apples for dinner. The kids eat in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f466e3492361a445d2d764eca7b5e91d\">That night, I find Todd outside, smoking by the dock. We don\u2019t talk for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-306b3cd5dff8768ac8bbcd88fdf3f1db\">Finally, he says, \u201cYou think I\u2019m a joke. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-16188b5ba375fbad8dfb3ab9c01d6e98\">\u201cI think you\u2019re lost,\u201d I reply. \u201cBut yeah, I\u2019m tired of carrying all the weight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-84d56c11078743c36b8fc047e91a500a\">He nods. \u201cFair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f9d3de20119f8a4245efb1e68ee92381\">Then he says something that catches me off guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30711ac0f66abfef6682697f45b3c4ce\">\u201cI\u2019ve been depressed. Didn\u2019t want to admit it. Thought if I quit my job and cleared my mind, something would click. But it didn\u2019t. I just feel\u2026 stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1406ebc4827f18559af2dd1d9eaeda13\">I look at him. He\u2019s not defensive. Just tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b96dd0ec40d07ef50e4b2042b4173c51\">\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell Melissa?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cf6eca53a41eb80c96ea91b94a2488cf\">\u201cDidn\u2019t want to be the broken one. Didn\u2019t want to disappoint her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ce70543fe78ee7fce8b67043708da480\">\u201cThat ship\u2019s sailed,\u201d I say, not unkindly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e736608612127d9cc98fc84792f95b26\">He laughs a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c1dae780fa9b1306d6ecfbe925475a5d\">\u201cBut it\u2019s not too late to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-00a26b06674ad4fee61951015a48682e\">The next morning, he wakes up early. Makes pancakes. Real ones. Cleans the kitchen. Takes the kids fishing. Melissa watches, guarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d3cee5d8723e33ae616998acfe1244aa\">When my wife returns that afternoon, she\u2019s surprised. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bea8e90367c7ae029f4472748187a948\">\u201cI think he finally saw the mirror,\u201d I whisper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1ac0bdc819984d02a3552af92573de77\">That evening, Todd gathers everyone and apologizes. To me, to Melissa, to the group. He thanks us for putting up with him. Says he\u2019ll be getting help when he\u2019s back home \u2013 therapy, maybe even a job again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a0b9ca51271c753ff5701c0df6aeb5ab\">It\u2019s not perfect. But it\u2019s something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8c26e818a67fcd9a59afb76575af9045\">A week after the trip, he texts me a photo. Him in a mechanic\u2019s uniform. Says he\u2019s back at the shop part-time, easing into it. He\u2019s seeing a counselor too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a74b4c43e353769f61b450042068a62f\">Sometimes, people need a storm to reset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7f387a678a8238313b48ba4ae75969f8\">That trip cost more than I planned \u2013 money, patience, nerves. But it gave me something too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-390e8d27505b2a77c847215b91b12452\">It reminded me that grace isn\u2019t free, but it\u2019s worth giving. That people stumble, but some do get back up \u2013 if they\u2019re given a reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-aeca4f639fd6c9d0fbf89b639b2c8a10\">And maybe that reason is someone believing in them, even when it\u2019s hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cd2cfd3cf2c9842fbabe64ebc0aacb72\">If you\u2019ve ever carried more than your share, you\u2019re not alone. But sometimes, the ones you carry end up standing because you didn\u2019t drop them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5a0196a371035445521792b28cef0521\">Share this if it hit home. Like it if you believe in second chances. You never know who needs one today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We agreed my sister-in-law\u2019s family could join our family trip \u2013 only if they paid their own way. Then her [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1592"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1594,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1592\/revisions\/1594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}