The Lake - My Church

"The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude." ~Voltaire

It was late last spring when the idea came to me – just sort of popped into my head, really. I had not been thinking of this at all. It was almost as if someone whispered it into my ear as I slept – instructing me. I woke the next morning refreshed, renewed, rejuvenated. I knew what I had to do. All was right with the world.

“You must sell your canoe and buy a smaller, more manageable one,” the voice said.

Wow, I never knew. The voice was right, though. At 14 feet in length, our Olde Towne canoe was great when our 2 boys were small. We would fit the 4 of us, no problem, and off we’d go out onto the lake - all of 2 times, maybe 3. The canoe had been lying still, upside down, for years. Unloved, unwanted, unused. It really needed a good home. It was for the best.

Within a week or so of my “dream” I asked my husband if he wouldn’t mind if I sold our canoe and buy a smaller one. I knew he wasn’t interested in going out onto the lake so a smaller one would be perfect, I thought. I pictured myself, seated in the rear paddling around in the early morning pre-dawn hours on this lake that I grew up on, live one mile down the road from and am drawn to still. Of course, this vision of me paddling had me meandering along the shore, mist rising from the warm water and hot coffee in my “to go” mug sitting on the floor within reach. I stop paddling, it is quiet and still. It is light although the sun has not officially made it entrance. Yes, this is the thing I am seeking. The voice is right.

“Why not consider a kayak,” my husband responded. “Canoes are kinda awkward when paddling solo and too much like work. You might find a kayak easier going and more to your liking.”

Huh! Well I had never thought of a kayak and the voice did say canoe. People I had seen in kayaks always looked uncomfortable to me. Sort of leaning back with their knees bent a little. But the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea! My husband is wise. Yes, a kayak would do the trick.

Well, long story (trust me) short, I am the proud owner of a 10 foot kayak. A solid deep red one. I have an awesome life jacket that has a secret Velcro pocket where I keep my sun glasses - just in case. My husband bought me this wonderful thing that is a combination compass and whistle which is tied securely to my life jacket buckle. I am prepared. Also tied to my PFD is a watertight container where my cell phone just fits along with the key (not keys) to my truck. I venture out onto the lake in the early morning with peace of mind, knowing I am equipped with everything I need if an emergency arises. You never know when a barge or cruise ship will just suddenly appear on this small lake out of the early morning fog when the visibility is only 20 feet. I am ready. I have a whistle. I have a compass. I have a cell phone. If I go over, they’ll be with me. I’ll be ok.

The first morning I set out in my kayak I knew I had “come home.” The moment I sat myself down, (and contained the wobbling) nestled in, took a deep breath and exhaled; this calm came over me. Ahhh! Yes, this is great. I started paddling and it all seemed so natural to me as if I’ve been doing this every summer day for years. Well, granted – it’s not a difficult thing to do physically, so it wasn’t as if it was some amazing athletic feat. As I meandered along the shore, mist rising from the warm water and hot coffee in my “to go” mug sitting on the floor within reach, it was all so familiar. Just like my vision.

Being out on the water like this for me is so much more than the physical act of paddling, though. This is a mind-body-soul thing for me. Being out early, paddling, meandering along the shore or being out in the middle of the lake – I stop, close my eyes, breathe deeply, listen, hear, look, see, touch, feel, smell and watch the sun come up. This feeds my soul and satisfies my need for solitude. My soul is nourished, my spirit cleansed. I am renewed. I rejoice.

There is a fellow early morning lake lover who is usually just starting out - in his single man scull - when I am finishing. He put it best when we were talking one morning.

“Being out on the lake, well -- it’s like church for me.”
“Exactly!” I agreed.

I like this church I go to - this great outdoors - where every day is Sunday. I leave my daily morning mass feeling refreshed, renewed, restored - with joy in my heart and this sustains me throughout the rest of my day. Indeed, my cup runneth over. All is right with the world.

My Own Backyard

“I don’t want to waste a waking moment, I don’t want to sleep.”

Remember the movie Born Free, the true story about the lioness Elsa? (For those of you who haven’t seen the “about me” yet, now you know how old I am. For those “younger” readers thinking “what?” well, you’ll just have to Google it and the song if you’re curious. You don’t actually need to, though. You can still follow along because…) Well, this blog is not about that. But there are lyrics in the title song (see my sub title) from the movie that I’m reminded of time and again. I need only step out my door right into my own backyard. Just out doing - not much - mundane things like walking up my driveway to get the mail. Just being out. Outside in the great outdoors. Let me try to explain.

In trying to let you know a little about what this blog is all about, (so you can determine for yourself whether or not you care to check in from time to time) imagine for a moment that we are walking together down my back country road, having a conversation. You are talking. I should say here that when walking down my road, (in reality) there is a place where if you look to the right, in between 2 houses, you can see a valley below and then the hills on the horizon beyond. Oftentimes, the valley is socked in with an early morning fog. It’s really beautiful. There is so much more to describe about it, particularly the way it looks during different parts of the day and times of the year. But, this will do for now – more on that in another post. So, in my scenario I stop for a moment, interrupting you and I say,

“Oh, look over to the valley down there.”

If you think you would respond in a rather annoyed manner and say, “yeah, so, what about it?” Well, then this blog is not for you. If you’d have to ask, then you just won’t get it. And that’s ok, I’m not judging you! I don’t even know you. It’s just that, I’m trying to save you the bother and the time. You can’t get that back you know. Like trying to follow a movie because you think there must be more to it. There must be a point. You hang in there until you come to the end and then realize you’ve wasted 2 hours of your day. And, as mentioned, you can’t get that back you know! So, you can stop reading now. (You’re welcome!)

If your response would be something like this;

You: “Oh, yeah! See how the fog just kinda hangs down there like a heavy weight.”
Me: “Look how bright it is with the sun shining right on top of it. It’s glowing.”
You: “Look at how the mist – over there – is lit up by the sun filtering through the trees at this angle. You really can see actual sunbeams like a spotlight on a smoky stage. It almost looks as if,”
In unison: “We’re in heaven!”

Then you get it. Now you know what this blog will be about. Really just things as simple as a view, caught by a random glance which I am grateful to have witnessed and want to share with you. Actually, I seek out this view of the valley every day now as I walk my dog in the very early morning or otherwise drive past it. I never tire of seeing it and every day I look at it as if I didn’t just see it yesterday and all the days (and years) before and I look at it as if I won’t see it again tomorrow, as if I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life! There is almost this urgency I feel to look all around me, to take it all in, to memorize, to savor. I don’t want to waste a waking moment. I feel I might miss something. If I miss it, I’ll never know that I did. So, I look. Weird, I know!

I’d like to share these things with you. I hope you will enjoy reading. This blog, however, is not just about things that are aesthetically pleasing like the fog hanging low in the valley, or things that are awe-inspiring like the fawn bounding through the wild flowers behind it’s mom; it’s also about seeing the goodness in people (people you see everywhere; while pumping gas, at the PO, in the checkout line – there are good people and regular fine folks like you and me everywhere you go) and finding the joy every day; and living – really living. Stop. Be still. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, open your eyes; look, see, listen, hear, smell, touch, feel, taste, live. Now, stop reading this and go out and see for yourself. It’s free. I know I can find it every day in my own backyard. I challenge you to do the same!

I hope you will check back in from time to time. Let me know what you think and let me know what you’ve discovered during your day. Please post a comment. (It’s free!) Be sure to tell me where you’re from. If your comment won’t post for some reason, (I hate it when that happens, but it does happen) please drop me an email. I mean it! It would really brighten my day. I hope I can brighten yours.