staying afloat in the currents
trying new things & keeping afloat
Saturday we took a new-to-us boat out on a new-to-us lake. One lightweight canoe with bent paddles instead of two heavier kayaks & double-sided paddles. On a bigger lake with motorboats, which means more waves, some sizeable. We bypassed a more central boat launch for one we hoped would be less busy.
The weather was typical for a sunny Ohio August afternoon. Hot & humid. It was around 5pm and the line to get boats out looked like a Costco parking lot on a Saturday. We had two advantages… there was a convenient paddle launch area, and we can walk a decent distance with this lightweight boat… so we found a parking spot, readied ourselves & headed toward the water.
Y’all it has been YEARS since I was in a canoe. And then I found myself practicing surrender & balance in whole next levels, as we navigated our first paddle in Pearl… me in the front seat/bow, Kelly in the back/stern. If you’ve never been in a canoe, this is the equivalent of me being in the passenger seat… without being able to see the driver. Which, if you know me, you are likely chuckling at right now.
We did best when I put down the paddle and focused on balance, while Kelly practiced her stroke with a new tool. Which was perfect, since this purchase is mostly about her mom’s upcoming move to Ohio, and our desire to get her on the water without towing a kayak. After her most recent shoulder injury, paddling for herself isn’t likely, even if her 84 yo self wanted to. Pearl is fabulous, and we will all enjoy many hours of fun paddling &/or passengering in that boat!
Sometimes we have to put down the paddle/whatever it may be, in order to stay afloat/alive/sane/something. It’s okay. Really. It is okay to lay it down, let it go…
float with the current…
Remember to unclench your jaw, lower your shoulders,
lengthen your exhales & drink more water.
Sometimes that means giving something/someone up for a short time and sometimes it means something else entirely. Whatever current phase you’re in… practice grace, gentleness & openness with you. Stay curious.
Whether you’re helping aging parents through this next phase, raising babies in a chaotic world, struggling to make it through today for a million other reasons…
Remember that you are not alone, and that we work best collectively. That doesn’t mean we all do all the things all the time, or anything close. Think about that chorus analogy, where we don’t all sing every word at the same time, while we’re singing the same song. We breathe along the way and the music ebbs & flows as we do.
I love you. Thank you for being here, for showing up in the world the ways you do. Don’t let the waves get you down. If you’re not already on our prayer list, and you want to be, just comment/message. (big squeezy hug)