For our 40th anniversary, Denise and I planned a quiet getaway to Oregon—just us, after decades of parenting and grandparenting. But when our daughter Amanda heard, she guilted us into turning it into a family trip. Eventually, we caved—until I realized we were being recruited as babysitters.
Quietly, I rebooked Oregon. When I told Denise, she cried with joy.
We walked cliffs, drank wine by the fire, and rediscovered each other.
Amanda was furious, but in time, she understood. We weren’t abandoning family—we were honoring our marriage.
Sometimes love means setting boundaries. Sometimes choosing yourself is how you teach others your worth.
That trip wasn’t selfish. It was sacred.
And I’d choose it again—every time.
