A ringing phone in the middle of the night

My daughter Maria sent me a chart on Facebook that made me laugh. It was titled: What parents think when you don't answer your phone.

The pie chart indicated half the parents worried the phone wasn't answered because you were dead while the other half thought you didn't answer because you were dying.

Less than 1 percent figured the phone wasn't answered because your phone was dead or you couldn't hear it.

It's all meant to poke fun at parents who worry. Of course it's a bit of an exaggeration but we laugh at it because we recognize ourselves, our parents, or someone we know.

I must say it reminded me of my mother's penchant to think the worst if I was late in getting to her house.

I had to drive two hours over Route 80 that was often foggy, icy or problematic for some other reason. If I didn't get there exactly when she was expecting me, my mother was sure I was in an accident. If I arrived 20 minutes "late," she greeted me like I just returned from the dead.

Most of us aren't like that. But let me ask you this: When your phone rings in the middle of the night, do you think it's because there is a serious problem with a family member?

A few weeks ago I was sound asleep when my phone rang around 2 a.m. Before I could find the phone in the dark, I managed to knock over the alarm clock that, in turn, bumped into a glass of water and spilled it all over the floor. Meanwhile, my heart was racing as I tried to find the phone, thinking no one would call me at that hour unless it was an emergency. No one calls in the middle-of-the-night to say they just won the lottery or just met the man of their dreams, do they?

When the phone rings in the middle of the night, I know it's not going to be good news. That last middle of the night call came from a close friend calling to tell me her husband passed away. Yes, she could have waited until morning to tell me, but she needed someone to talk to and I understood that.

While I laughed at the Facebook survey, if it's not the middle of the night I don't worry when my kids don't answer the phone. I think it's because they are out having fun.

For the most part, my upbeat disposition means I expect positive things each day. And, each day I am not disappointed because there are always positive things sent our way.

Sometimes it's a visit from a friend; sometimes it's a rewarding and relaxing time spent outdoors with nature.

I often call my daughters bragging about the incredibly wonderful weather we have in southwest Florida. I tell them many days are so perfect I wish I could put them in a scrapbook to keep them forever.

Andrea has three active kids and her own Wild Chairy business to run. What she doesn't have is a lot of time to fly to Florida. So it was a big deal for both of us when she and her daughter, Sophie, flew here to enjoy our water activities.

We had plenty of water activities for those three days, but not the kind we wanted. Rain showers, thunder showers and downright torrential downpours was all the water activity she saw.

But Andrea is an optimist, just like me, so the two of us keep saying it would be sunny "tomorrow." In perfect faith, we booked a kayaking trip for Andrea on the last day of her visit.

When we showed up, the owner of the kayak rental said he needed business but he wasn't letting anyone go out on the water because a storm was coming.

Just as I was about to tell him we wanted to take our chances, lightning punctuated his prediction.

Taking his advice, we went to breakfast to wait for the rain to stop. We waited. And waited. And waited. Andrea's long-awaited kayak trip wasn't to be.

So what do you do on a rainy day when your plans are ruined? You make the best of it. We had to settle for showing Andrea our town's quaint business section, running in between raindrops to get to the stores. But the best thing about being with family is simply spending time with them. It's always fun to be with Andrea, rain or no rain.

Did you ever have a vacation spoiled by uncooperative weather? One year our family booked a big vacation home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina so three generations could spend time there. Twelve of us settled into the fabulous cottage, expecting a glorious week. Unfortunately, Hurricane Dennis settled in at the same time.

For six long days and nights the Hurricane hovered over us, keeping us indoors.

But when we look back on past vacations, that one ranks as unforgettable fun. Three generations joined in dance contests and we laughed until tears rolled down our faces.

One day we bundled in rain slickers and walked the beach as we were pelted by wind and rain. Yet, we had fun.

We had fun because we were "family" enjoying precious time together. Even rain or a hurricane can't change that.