Vacationing with grateful heart overcame many needless fears

I have always loved to explore and discover new places, so I wanted us to have opportunities to share as a family.

However, we had decided not to do family vacations since traveling with a son who has autism can be difficult. In addition, it can be a mix of emotions for everyone in the family.

We used to avoid traveling due to the fear of what could go wrong. When our son Ivan clearly said, “No hotel!” repeatedly for days or months, it was easy to do so.

So, what to do? Listen to Ivan or take on the challenge for him and for us?

God was telling me to trust him in all I have learned over the years. I believe we are called to use and appreciate the gifts he has given us. I thought it was time for us to grow as a family.

We did it! Our trip to Tennessee this summer was great! The best experience we had was white-water rafting.

The day before our water excursion, Ivan said, “No boat!” about 200 times. Boy, does that sound familiar.

But we have learned that him saying things like that does not mean he does not want to do it. It is how he expresses his feelings about liking routines and knowing what to expect.

So, we did our best to explain what would happen on the water, and we practiced it with him.

I knew Ivan would do well on the water. Still, we, as a family, had nervous energy with the waiting and idle time beforehand. Idle time is especially challenging for Ivan, and we had to lock up our belongings. So, we used what we had to help entertain him – he dug the rocks out of the dirt!

Finally, it was our turn to get in our boat. It was relaxing and easy at first, and then we hit our first bout of waves. There was a splash of cold water in our faces, and we heard belly laughter!

My two boys turned back to look at their brother with a weight lifted off their shoulders. We could all see and hear the joy he experienced. That was permission for us all to let go of worry.

What a gift to each of us that we could be fully present for our family experience with a grateful heart. Jesus, you are so good!

Thank you, Jesus, for the confidence in what you have taught us over the years to trust you and listen to your guidance.

Gina Kurtich Sternfels grew up in Plaquemines Parish. She graduated from Immaculata High School and Louisiana State University, where she studied fine arts and psychology. She now resides on the northshore with her husband Roland and three boys (ages 19, 17, 15). They are parishioners of Most Holy Trinity Church in Covington. She is passionate about disabilities as she has a son with autism. Dealing with boys and autism in the house has kept her on her toes, and she embraces life as “never boring!” She participates with the Archdiocesan Commission for Persons with Disabilities. With Roland, she has been part of Catholic Engaged Encounter for many years. She has joined the Encounter School of Ministry to dig deep and learn more about her faith in a new way. She is working on being still, to hear God’s voice and use her gifts of creativity amid the busyness of day-to-day life as a momma … on a path with purpose!