WHEN THE VACATION IS OVER

JOAN TAYLOR

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

I HADN'T TAKEN a vacation in years, so when my 16-year-old daughter and I had plans to go to California, we greatly anticipated the trip.

The holiday went beautifully as we drove up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, visiting friends and family. But what I ultimately learned about our vacation had more to do with a change of scenery in my thought than all the miles we traveled.

It was upon our arrival back home that I ran into difficulty. Right away, my daughter and I began to bicker—nothing big, but the petty stuff that seems to chip away at family harmony. Along with that came an unexpected whopper of a bill waiting for me in our post office box—followed by a need for additional freelance consulting work.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

PARENTING

STEPPARENTING 101