While Michelle’s memories of our numerous trips to D.C. lean towards the impressionistic and hazy as she recently wrote in The Role of Washington in Our Lives Part 2, mine are a little more clear-eyed and detailed. What I remember about this particular venture to the District and specifically, the Old Town Trolley ride, was the joy of being able to say to the kids “Yes…we can do it.” After many years of looking longingly at the trolleys and buses confidently maneuvering around the city without us, it was a great feeling to finally purchase those tickets to ride that day.
In the early days of our travels together, we often said “no” to fun tours and luxuries because they were too expensive for our family of four. The day of the trolley ride, Emma and Jack were prepared for the annual “no.” The joy on their faces when we said “yes” was a moment you live for as a parent. In fact, if you look closely at the picture of Emma, you can see her trying to contain the surprise and excitement of the “yes.”
And…on this particular day of our VIP status in D.C., we also stayed in one of the Presidential Suites at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park.
Getting into the Presidential Suite was a great lesson in life about going from “no” to “yes” as well. We checked in that morning emboldened with a little cash in our pockets for this trip and we asked for an upgrade. On a previous overnight stay in D.C., a Marriott employee told to me to ALWAYS ask for an upgrade and a larger room. What could it hurt? I had never even considered it.
The hotel clerk at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park looked at us and said, “Let me see what we can do.” After a minute of fast, hard tapping on the computer keys and the next thing we hear is “How does a Presidential Suite sound?”
“Excuse, me?”
The front desk clerk repeated herself.
“Uh…sounds awesome!”
Let me tell you, there were two clear winners that morning: us and Marriott. We got the high dollar room for the regular room rate and Marriott earned a customer for life. Since that day at the Wardman Park, we have stayed at a Marriott hotel for nearly 100 percent of our travels.
Of course, partly why I remember the D.C. trolley ride and the Presidential Suite trip is, I’m sure, due to my own childhood experiences.
Michelle and I constantly ask ourselves…
"Is the child we once were always destined to walk beside us?”
As a kid, my Mom had to say “No” to nearly everything we asked for because money was always tight. Just thinking of those moments now can make me feel pain for my mom, for my sister, and for me.
The incredulous look my Mom would have on her face simply because we had THE NERVE to ask for something which was clearly beyond her ability to provide is permanently seared into my mind. It was a sad look of exasperation due to living paycheck to paycheck for so many years. Mom usually had enough to take care of life’s necessities which consisted of “the clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and food to eat.” A phrase she often used to remind us of how lucky we were and how thankful we should be.
Now that I really think about it, there were so many different levels of Mom saying “No.” The first was manageable and you could bounce away from the interaction and pretty much go about your day. Mom would say “Honey, you know we can’t do that.”
The second level of “No” was a little more grievous and usually was something like “Son, why are you asking me for this? You know I don’t have it.”
But the worst, was when Mom had to go into full blown desperation with “I am BROKE Chris. B.R.O.K.E. What is it about that word that you don’t understand?” Hearing “No” at level three always made me want to hug my mom. But at level three, she was in no mood for hugs. I usually carried away some lingering guilt from these moments cautioning me not to ask for anything anytime soon.
I am grateful we were able to say “yes” that day in D.C. It’s hard to know for sure if all the times my Mom had to say “no” made the “yes” of that day that much better, but I think they probably did.
Here’s to hoping we can all soon move from “no” to “yes” with our travels in the days ahead.