Adventure, or Overcoming My OCD

I like to think of myself as a somewhat adventurous person, but I know that I'll more likely spend just as much time planning my "adventure" than I spend having it.  I like to know what's going to happen.  I like to know where I'm going.  I like to know what time we're suppose to go there.  These things, I get from my father.  My mother, and her entire family, have always been more of a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of group.  Plans change, sometimes quite often, with them.  We get where we're suppose to be, but the path getting there can sometimes be quite chaotic.

Please don't misunderstand any of this - I love my maternal family!  They are crazy, loving, creative, giving, goofy, sarcastic, witty, spontaneous and some of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.  This past weekend, my cousin got married.  In Maine.  None of the family is from Maine, or even live there.  The groom and his bride travel quite often, and apparently Maine is one of their favored destinations.  So the whole entire clan traveled out to Maine to see my cousin get married.  I knew it would be an outrageous weekend.  I can't be with these people and not have a good time.  Just isn't possible.  So, my mom, my sister, my 3 kids and I all piled into my minivan and set off for Saco, Maine.

I offered to drive, my mom had made the hotel reservations.  I printed a map from Syracuse, NY to Saco, Maine, but didn't know where the hotel was so I didn't get specific.  As soon as I realized my mom didn't really know where the hotel was either, my OCD-o-meter started beeping inside my head.  "Warning, warning.... destination unknown. Warning, warning...."  I took a deep breath, and told myself it would be ok.

Much of the weekend was spent listening to that warning blare through my brain.  Just about every time I got behind the wheel of my car, I was pretty close to clueless as to where we were heading.  I was just following the relative who was in front of me, and praying that my sister's SmartPhone GPS would get us there if I lost the other car.  For the record, I am home now, and I did manage to get where I was suppose to be, when I was suppose to be there, with very little difficulty.  I had to bite my tongue and tell myself to shut up a lot in order not to snap at anyone and demand written directions.  In the end everything worked out fine.

Stolen from my cousin Steph's website

Despite my annoyance at having to drive directionless, the wedding itself was absolutely beautiful.  The bride and groom were both stunning, as was the best man - the groom's brother, whom I hadn't seen in a very long time.  Everyone was smiling, and when the bride's mother started to weep as the bride walked down the aisle, the groom's younger sister touched her shoulder and comforted her.  It was an absolutely beautiful day, and by all accounts that I could see, a perfect wedding.

Before the end of the night, we managed to gather together all 23 members of the family for a fun little photo shoot.  It took some effort, but was well worth it, as everyone's smiles indicate.  As I said, it seems nearly impossible for us to not have a good time together.  All those smiles are genuine.  All filled with joy and love.  

This is what it's all about.  Directions didn't matter.  Not having a GPS didn't matter.  Not having a plan didn't matter.  My OCD-o-meter and my annoyances didn't matter.  Family matters.  Being surrounded by all these awesome, wonderful people who make me laugh unconditionally is what matters.  Makes no difference where we are, what the circumstances are, how we got there, when we got there or why we got there.  We were together, in the moment, having fun, laughing, and loving life.

Everyone has their own OCD tendencies and annoyances.  The important thing is how we deal with these annoyances.  There were many moments during the weekend that I felt myself getting upset, frustrated, angry. But I know this family.  I know that plans are rarely set in stone.  I know that not having directions wasn't anyone's fault or any kind of vindictive stab toward me personally.  I had to consciously tell myself to calm down, and from there I was able to better evaluate the situation and make adjustments.  After I threw my frustration and anger out the window, it was easier for me to enjoy myself, even when I didn't know where I was going.  It's silly to let our minuscule frustrations ruin what could otherwise be a lovely occasion.  When you feel those emotions starting to rise, take a moment to breathe, evaluate and refocus.  Then sit back, and enjoy whatever situation is in front of you.  I bet you'll be happy you did.

PS- In case you don't know my cousin Steph, she's a very cool photographer with her own blog, This World Around You. I highly suggest you check it out!