Pizza, Pigeons, and Ice Cream
We concluded our amazing family trip to NYC yesterday, returning home satisfied and exhausted. During the car ride home from the airport, I asked the boys to name their favorite things from the trip. Pax jumped in quick and decisively:
$1.50 pizza slices from a little place called Mr. Pizza.
Ice cream (lots and lots of ice cream)
Visiting the Statue of Liberty
Playing on the beach (Coney Island)
Finn piped in next:
Pizza
Feeding the pigeons
Riding the subway
Coney Island roller coaster
I've written on many occasions about the idea that memories don't discriminate based on price. We, parents, love to assign value to activities, memories, and experiences based on how much they cost. I see it all the time in my coaching, and frankly, I'm occasionally guilty of it myself.
During our trip, we dined at some of the most famous restaurants in the city and even took in a Broadway show. The Broadway show was easily the most expensive thing we did, with a total price tag of $600. The boys enjoyed the show, but it didn't even come up when inventorying their top moments. I'll re-summarize their favorites:
$1.50 pizza slices from Mr. Pizza: $1.50 (duh!)
Ice cream: $6-$12....several times
Statue of Liberty: $22/person
Feeding the pigeons: Free
Subway: $3/person
Coney Island Roller Coaster (The Cyclone!): $10/person
Coney Island Beach: Free
No, it wasn't a cheap trip. Flights, hotels, parking, transportation.....it added up. However, we parents need to give ourselves a break. We don't need to go all-in on fancy, elaborate events. The simplest ideas often win out. The most insignificant moments become the memories. The unexpected happenings between activities create the shared experiences.
In a moment of conviction, I asked Sarah if she regretted spending $600 on the Broadway show. "Not at all! I'm so glad we went." I'm glad one of us feels that way, and perhaps one day the boys will look back fondly at that experience as well. But in the meantime, I'm going to savor that trip....mostly the small little moments. So many beautiful little moments.
It's worth a reminder again today. We don't need to live for the big, elaborate, fancy, costly moments in life. Sure, those are cool; they have value. But we ought not miss the value and beauty in the simple, the small. Have an awesome day!
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