Don’t cry when it’s over - smile because it happened’
Mark Pavilons Perspectives
editor@caledonperspectives.ca

It’s been said we can’t choose our relatives. That’s just another urban legend, perpetuated by those who haven’t quite found what they’re looking for. For many who venture north-ward, to the shores of Georgian Bay, a rather large “family” awaits with open arms and open hearts. These are relatives we all dream about and long for. There’s never a squabble, heated exchange or unreturned phone call or e-mail. In fact, this extended family is brimming with carefree fun, morning and evening cheers and a long history of treating friends like long-lost relatives, embracing them without question. It’s almost like getting a “where have you been” from this eager group of people. Mother Nature extended her loving arms all around Georgian Bay to create one of Ontario’s most precious resources. The geography itself is the stuff legends are made of. The Georgian Bay pines have been depicted by The Group of Seven artists and the area was (and is) a popular summer vacation spot for many famous Canadians and Americans, including the Wright Brothers. They understood the appeal. So do all those who live or visit this region on a regular basis. This is where our extended family resides, at least for part of year. My clan has embraced the Delawana Inn Spa and Conference Resort and has been, in return, similarly bear-hugged, year after year .It’s about creating a mindset – the proverbial vacation mode – that brings everyone closer together.

Serenity now!

Study after study has pointed to the physical and emotional benefits of family vacations. Holiday relief decreases psychological and behavioral strains caused by job stress, commuting and the hectic pace of life in the real world. In the world beyond the Del, even happy events like anniversaries, birth-days and buying a new home can blast us uphill like a roller coaster and send us careening around hairpin turns. Of course, conflicts, financial woes and nagging problems can give us all constant stress. Some thrive on it. But for most of us, it will be our undoing. Stress can hinder the response mechanisms in our brains and impair our memory and our ability to think clearly. Hormones released into our systems by constant stress can affect our physical health in a multitude of ways. But regular vacations are beneficial for the mind and body. Studies have shown that an annual family getaway can cut the risk of a heart attack in men by 32 per cent and as much as 50 per cent in women. People who balance their lives and enjoy family, friends, hobbies, exercise and work, tend to enjoy life and handle stress better than those in constant turmoil. An extended time away from our daily angst refreshes our spirit and energizes our very souls.

The mindset

The trick is to find a place – some sort of refuge – to achieve this mental mindset. Our chosen locale has some-thing that the world’s leading motivational speakers lack – the secret of altering our minds and attitudes through simple pleasures. They inject and infect Del guests with such genuine bliss in a delightful way that’s contagious. Upon arriving to the shores, the mental cobwebs and villains that shadow our thoughts are swept away, replaced with clean, whole-some family fun, a few ditties and a promise to please. Some vacation spots and resorts promise the moon, but few can actually deliver. Too many concentrate on amenities, luxuries and the art of fine-dining. Too many coddle guests in exotic imported linens and impress them with fixtures, gadgets, room service and valet parking. But they miss the point. While my family members are Del veterans, we are still impressed by this simple, endearing gesture that caused me to wonder if they mistook me for an incognito actor or someone of stature. No. They were just being nice .It’s sad that some of us find this behavior odd or out of place. But we’re not talking about the cruel world – we’re among family. This may sound completely foreign or even corny to some of you. That’s because most people are unable to let go of those stressors that can overwhelm their lives. They may be island-hopping pros and Caribbean kings and queens, but maybe they missed a few simple things along the way .More often than not, the answers are simple, as simple as hearing children splash in the pool, as simple as pushing a toddler in a swing made of an old tire, as simple as watching a movie under the stars. I don’t know if it’s the setting, food, accommodations, kids pro-gram or all of those combined. But these ingredients come together in an almost mystical way in a secret concoction, like a favorite recipe from grandma – to place grins on faces in places that are unaccustomed to laugh lines. Those new-found creases do fade over time, like the well earned tan, but traces remain. These elements surface from time to time, as thoughts and memories are rekindled, producing spontaneous smiles and grins – ammunition to battle those everyday gremlins. The proof is on the faces of the family members who return year after year. It’s in the loud laughs of children that bounce off the bay waters like perfectly skipped stones. It’s in the voices of little ones at the table, when they shout heart-felt (and loud) greetings. And it’s in their hearts when it comes time to say farewell for another season. “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”- Dr. Seuss Profound, indeed. Perhaps Theodor Geisel once visited the Del. He would have discovered much food for thought for his children’s books and found solace among the pines. I’ll leave you with another of Seuss’s thoughts: “If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Press Archive
2009 >>
2008 >>
2007 >>
2007 >>
2006 >>
2005 >>
2004 >>
2003 >>
2002 >>
eNewsletters>>
Multimedia >>

Order your copy of the annual
DelaNews Newsletter >>