What would you do for a free holiday?

A few weeks ago I was listening to my favourite radio station where they were about to give away a big prize. Someone was going to spend a week at an all inclusive resort getting fanned by banana leaf waving cabana boys. Or whatever happens in these places. I haven't been on a tropical holiday in a long while.

So the "Morning Hot Tub" calls the person who won. You know how these morning radio types get... all giggly and excited and raring to give away this awesome prize. The deal with it is, it's a Friday morning and they have to drop everything and leave on Saturday. When they call the woman, she (and I'll type this slowly so you all get it) declined... the... prize. Why? Work. WORK. She couldn't get away because of work.

The woman is either the most dedicated drone in the hive or needs to be committed. She either needs a huge raise or huge amounts of shock treatment. This lady is precisely the type of worker that needs a holiday like this. I just felt so sorry for her that she couldn't come up with something, anything to tell her boss (family emergency in Cancun, maybe?).

It made me think. Could I get away for a week on 24 hours notice? I'm a stay-at-home mother so I don't have a boss to answer to. But I run a home daycare and 3 kids (plus my 3) count on me every day. That would put them out. But the idea of giving up a holiday? Free? I'm sure they'd understand. Scott would have a harder time as he's on a schedule with his french lessons but still. He'd drop it like a bad habit if an opportunity like this came up. You've got to have priorities. It's not even a case of the free holiday. It's what you think of yourself. What you want your life to revolve around. Do you want to be known as a boring workaholic or someone who grabbed life by the short-and-curlies and enjoyed every moment?

It reminds me of a book I just finished reading called "Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas". Mushy, girly stuff but something really stuck with me. In it the author says that life is a game where you juggle 5 balls. They are work, family, health, friends and integrity. Every day you struggle to keep them in the air. At some point in your life you need to realize that work is a rubber ball that will bounce back if dropped. The other balls are made of glass that will shatter or at least be badly damaged if dropped. So if you're having a hard time keeping them all in the air, it's the work one that can be dropped. It'll bounce back. I guess the lady who missed out on a terrific holiday hasn't realized that yet. Poor thing.

kxx