The Perfect Picnic

Photo by Maria Ilves on Unsplash

It was a bright and sunny, Saturday morning in Miami, Florida and the ever so elegant Jackson family of five and three dogs decided to go on a picnic at a nearby park. As always the Jackson family had already planned everything to perfection. Mom was in charge of making the picnic lunch and Dad was in charge of packing the plates, cups, and utensils. Becky the oldest of the Jackson children was in charge of making sure that the youngest, Andy Jackson who was in charge of the picnic blanket, was all pack and ready to go. And lastly Ben, the oldest son, was in charge of getting the dogs ready for the picnic as well. Once everything was packed and ready to go, all the Jacksons changed into their best picnic outfits, Mom and Becky both wore beautiful sundresses with matching sun hats. Dad and the boys all wore khaki shorts with white polo shirts and different colored sweaters tied around their necks. Now that everyone was well dressed, the Jacksons were ready for their nice, quiet, and simply perfect family picnic, where the girls would enjoy small talk at the picnic table while watching the boys play a peaceful game of catch with their dogs. At lunchtime, they would gather around the picnic table hold hands and say a prayer before sitting down to enjoy the deliciously perfect finger sandwiches mom had made earlier. Oh yes, everyone would be happy and everything would be perfect, or so they thought.

What the Jacksons didn’t know is that today is such a perfect day to be outside that every other family in Miami went on a picnic too. In fact, the park was so packed now that all the picnic tables were taken. Well, the Jackson family was prepared for this much, which is why they packed lawn chairs just in case. Unfortunately, there were so many families at the park that there was barely any room on the ground to spread the blanket. And that’s when they see it, the perfect spot under a big tree with plenty of shade. The Jacksons didn't hesitate for another second and make their way there, weaving through picnic blankets, running children and dogs, trying to dodge balls flying through the air and poop on the ground. Now by the time they had arrived at their destination they no longer looked like the perfectionist they worked so hard to be. Oh no, they were tired and their clothes were dirty and hair was a mess, but their attitude was still as proud as ever so they settled down and started their picnic, thinking nothing could make this day any worse.

But wait, it can. What the Jacksons didn’t know is that the big tree they were sitting under was actually a home for an enormous beehive. And that very soon a boy will run past trying to catch a football his dad tossed a little to far. And that this ball would coincidently hit the beehive causing it to collapse right in the middle of their picnic. I’m pretty sure you can guess what happens after that.

But the story doesn’t end there. As the Jacksons focus on fighting off the bees, they didn't notice that everyone was starting to leave. By the time they’re done with the bees and notice their surroundings the park is completely empty. Whew, finally some peace and quiet. Well, that is until the storm starts. Soon thunder fills the skies and rain starts pouring buckets. Seems like today wasn’t really the perfect day for a picnic. Better luck next time, Jackson family.

Feel free to leave a comment on any critics or thoughts you may have. Thank you for reading.