As we get older, some of us reflect on what we might have done wrong over the course of our lives
My wife and I are currently taking a very strenuous week down in Königstein, in the Taunus hills north of Frankfurt, to take care of our four grandchildren. At ages 1½, 3½ (the two boys from New York), 4 and 6 (the two girls from Königstein), they are more than a handful. More like an oil tanker full. All intelligent, demanding, and, unfortunately, tireless. There is, obviously, a reason for this. Our two daughters and their men, plus about 50 friends of my younger daughter's S.O. are celebrating his 50th birthday. In the Maldives.
My daughter makes about five times as much as I do, and he makes about three times as much as she does. They can easily afford little expeditions like this. They chartered a 737-300, which left Frankfurt Wednesday night. It had two refueling stops, one in Tbilisi, Georgia, and the other in India somewhere. After 12 hours, they landed in Male, and got on a boat that brought them to the island they had rented for the short week. They return Tuesday.
Now, we have never been to the Maldives, but we have seen enough photos and get the idea. This is where people who live in paradise go for vacations. It is -3° C here, and there is snow on the ground. The sidewalks and the streets are icy. To make sure we knew our children are doing better than their parents (the younger one paid for her sister and family to come over from New York), they sent us a couple of photos. There will be more. We already got a short video clip (no idea how to post that) of a manta ray flying underwater beneath their villa on stilts (no idea which one they're in). If the grandchildren ever give us a moment's peace, we will start plotting our revenge.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Spend a solid week with this crew, and you might reconsider your regrets! 
My daughter bought herself a cheapie underwater camera before leaving, so I'm sure there will be other pictures. Her pic of the sharks was National Geographic quality. They were hoping to go swim with a whale shark, and they are known to be in the area of the Maldives this time of year. They have a charter service on standby in case they get the chance. They are both completely down to earth, super smart, and have just had extraordinary success in their job careers. They knock themselves out while working, and enjoy the fruits of it when they're not. We say, good for them!
Your strenuous week will soon be over! After you recover (and you will!) you'll have some terrific memories of this time with your precious grandchildren.
You gave your daughters a priceless gift: the realization that they could do whatever they set their minds to! And now they're living that.
Wonderful photos! I know your daughters and their partners are getting a huge battery charge from being where they are. They are very lucky, and I hope they realize that your love got them there.
