Let me tell you about my triple play. No not baseball. I’m an HSP mom who has two HSP kids. One was working this summer after her senior year in high school at UPS doing overnights and to celebrate the job's completion planned a one-week camping trip with her friend. When I caught wind of it I asked my husband to fulfill his dream of reconnecting with the boundary waters in Northern Minnesota after having a whirlwind experience there when he was about our daughter's age.
He agreed to check into it and invite our son. This would leave me with a vacation at home to write, do yoga/meditate without interruption, and catch up on all of the sleep lost by keeping family life afloat.
My husband found an outfitter that got them set up nicely with a plan and much of the gear. One trip to the local outfitter and a few online purchases did it as our dining room table became a portage-able mountain of absolutes, not the vodka, however, that might make for a fun trip
I'm a planner, it's the Virgo in me and now do is my daughter. Her packing was coming along smoothly and I didn't intervene too much, just for a few suggestions that she accepted freely. The day came for the first group to shove off and I decided to adopt the mantra, no news is good news. The next day after a brief morning nap post her last day at work our daughter was picked up and on her way.
Late that day I got a text from our daughter. While rain was expected on their first day, they did not expect a deluge. They were backpacking miles into the campsites and due to this had a tent that barely fit two sleeping bags. A small shelter for a long night. I got texts that read, "Glad I brought that drying line." "Hmmm, we're thinking we might cancel the sites where we have to hike in more than a certain distance." "We're going to stay at the next campground for two nights." As their plans were to drive a few hours a day and move to an entirely new campsite. I'd send messages back, "It would be ok to stop at a laundromat and run a load" or "Maybe it's ok to just stay grubby and we can double wash your things when you get home." To this I'd see replies, "Smart" or "Good idea".
I’m sharing this story for several reasons.
First, it's good calculated risk for our child to plan a trip like this with a friend. They did a really good job for their age thinking about their needs for sunscreen, bug spray, food, etc. They even hauled a bear container into the sites because it’s a real risk. My husband asked if they had good rain gear and I said I didn't know. These are things they'll have to figure out as they go. Being wet at this time of the year is not the end of the world. While it’s uncomfortable what it creates is an important experience.
The next thing this created was the opportunity for our son and my husband to bond, very rarely are they alone together. They can have uninterrupted conversations, frustrating moments they have to work through without others there to intervene and rely on each other when they're unsure or maybe even scared. I didn't say and I feel I should that they are portaging, meaning they carry all of their gear and move from island to island via canoe and carry the canoe across to the next lake. If it's wet it can be very muddy where they are traveling, I think you get the picture.
For me, I receive the gift of being alone, a must for the HSP, and a rare opportunity to have space and time to myself. Oddly, I went to bed early each night and slept for nearly 10 hours. Waking with some yoga, baking, and writing. I ran some errands, weeded the gardens, watched a movie, read and knitted. I love my family and must confess liked having one group leave and the next leave the following day. It's odd to hear each noise in the house and worry about my cats that go out and shoulder the worry all on my own.
Life is an adventure and you must see to living it, especially with the uniqueness that is brought by being an HSP. You are unique in that you need time to process, time to rejuvenate and restore unlike any other personality type on earth. I hope you find your triple-play in some small way. I've been told I'm an altruist and this current example is truly for me a win/win/win.