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Our family of ten have been spending the past five days in a magnificent VRBO house in the Smoky Mountains. We have enough bedrooms for everyone, enough board games for anyone who wants to play, and a refrigerator-freezer plus ample counter space stocked with all our favorite foods.

The only downside to this wonderful trip has been my suffering from a bad head cold that started the day before we left and has lingered through today. Knowing I need to be at my best for the long drive home tomorrow, I decided not to join the crew on today’s trip to Dollywood—the area’s famed theme park and the highlight of any stay in the Smokies, especially when you’re traveling with four grandchildren, all age 11 or younger.

This morning, I sat quietly in the corner of the living room, unobserved, as the rest of the group made their final preparations for the day of fun. It felt like theater unfolding in front of me.

The rapid-fire dialogue was natural and unrehearsed, with parents checking on kids and on each other. Bags of cereal, pretzels, and other snacks—stage props in this production—were packed into gargantuan tote bags. Water bottles were filled and their lids carefully tightened.

As Act II began, the kids went on quests to find their Crocs and bathing suits, and then headed outside for the mandatory application of sunscreen and bug spray. Hats were grabbed, sunglasses perched on noses, and travel directions coordinated. Finally, with our middle granddaughter belting out Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” the entire cast exited stage right.

No curtain fell, but I was left alone, marveling at the wonderful family Barb and I have been blessed with. Watching them in action filled me with a joy deeper than any Tony-winning performance ever could!

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