The Sacrificial Snow Globe

"What's the problem? Did they make you leave something behind?"

My husband gave me the "I'll tell you later" face and shook his head as a signal to stop talking and keep walking.

We'd begun our journey to the UK in Nashville where the kids and I breezed through security, but  here was JD digging through his backpack with a TSA agent.

I later found out that he had to give up K's beloved Eiffel Tower snow globe.  We were very selective about what possessions made the trip, and it had been carefully bubble wrapped and placed in our fragiles bag along with some favorite family Christmas ornaments.

Turns out that snow globes are one of the top items confiscated in airports.  People forget how much liquid can be in them.  Surprisingly, K has never once even asked where that snow globe is, and I don't plan on bringing it up. 

Besides, the snow globe represented a dream -- to go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower -- and she had that dream fulfilled this summer.

K and I got up early on a Saturday and took the train to Paris, about a 3 hour ride away, and came home the next evening.

 

Those 2 days were more special than I know how to explain, which is why it has taken me 2 months to even talk about it here.

Our trip to Paris was about more than seeing the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Champs-Elysees, Sacre Couer Basilica, and the many many other famous and not-so-famous areas of Paris. 

It was about more than leisurely dining and drinking.

And it was definitely about more than the shopping.

The trip was a gift.  A gift to me, to be able to experience a dream-come-true with my precious child.

And for anyone who questions it, I am well aware of how incredibly fortunate we are to have the opportunities we have.

All weekend, it was as if all my daughter's senses were heightened. 

The Tower looked bigger, the lights at night brighter, the tastes more delicious. 

She thanked me over and over.

On our way back to the hotel Saturday night, I said, "Well K, is Paris everything you hoped for?"

In true K fashion, she gave me a look of bewilderment and said "No, Mom! It was way better than I ever thought it could be!"

Luckily real dreams usually end up like that -- very different than what we expect.

I hope she remembers that in the future...

but I still don't plan on telling her we had to toss her snow globe.