I should have cleaned, I thought. It’s not like this house cleans itself and it could use some TLC. Play dates, coffee dates, working late, sick kids, the house has been through a lot lately. But a yoga class called my name; and I listened. After all, I was just up all Sunday night with the little one and a case of the barfies…
It was nice out when I left for yoga, but it was even better after class! I had a cold brew coffee in my Jeep and decided to take it to the lake and have coffee by the water.
The lake was like glass; so still you wonder if there could possibly be ANYTHING below the surface.
Lack of wind made the sun feel extra warm.
I lasted about 3 minutes before I headed home.
It’s paddle board season, BABY!
After I took the top panels off my Jeep and opened the garage to get my board, my husband sent me a text.
- Husband: whatcha doing?
- Me: going paddle boarding
- Husband: where?
- Me: Forest Lake
- Husband: Are you nuts? It’s going to be freezing!
- Me: Only if I fall
As I was strapping my board up, I thought about this exchange. Mainly the “Are you nuts” portion. I might be, last week I rode my bike to the library in thirty degree weather, wearing shorts. In my defense, it was much warmer out of the wind at our house and I didn’t realize the little men wanted to actually go THAT far. Still, we bike along a highway with plenty of onlookers and I’m sure they all thought I was nuts. These days, though, if kids want to be outside you HAVE to encourage it, in shorts or not.
*******
I digress.
I recently purchased a long sleeved swim shirt for these not very hot days. I plan on being on my board whenever I can and the weather allows. I noticed the first time around at the launch that the dock wouldn’t be in and I’d have to get in the water to put my board in. Lucky for me, the fin on my board doesn’t go very deep and I only had to submerge up to my ankles. There were a couple guys struggling to start their boat for it’s first trip since the ice melted.
If they paid any mind to me, I didn’t notice.
I had the lake to myself. No one has their docks in and there wasn’t a boat in sight. It’s the quietest I’ve ever seen Forest Lake. It was bliss.
The lake was clear and calm, even with the fish swimming beneath the surface. I have to admit, it was a little eerie paddling past the drop off and not being able to see the bottom but I kept going. There is a channel on the south side of the first lake I like to try and find so I headed in that direction.
At about that same time, those guys working on their boat, fired it up.
‘It’s a big lake, they won’t come anywhere near me,’ I thought. Well, apparently Stand-up Paddlers are targets because they came RIGHT toward me at FULL SPEED.
In case you haven’t ever been on a paddle board I will say, when the water is choppy balance is hard but possible. If there are a ton of boats, water sporters and such, the wakes that they provide can topple a fellow paddler like myself over. Especially if you are inexperienced.
Lucky for me I have experience.
When I was a kid during the summers my parents shipped me off to Michigan. Throughout my years in Michigan I would learn how to drive a boat, attempt to sail and walk on water. Not the Jesus style, my Aunt and Uncle had some inflatable GIANT slippers you wore on your feet and tried to walk on top of the water, it was a LOT harder than some of us made it look but I think definitely prepared me for paddling later on in life.
I’m not sure if it was my Uncle-in-law’s (is that a thing??) nephews or my Uncle-in-law himself, but someone taught me how to maneuver through the wakes. Go directly toward it nose first, if you take it sideways you’ll tip. That little advice has followed me for the past 28 years.
It was a lifesaver yesterday.
Those boating pricks were lucky I was fresh out of a zen class or my fingers would have been flying. Calmly I headed straight for the wake, nose first and didn’t even wobble once. They both probably watched off the back of their boat anticipating a fall that didn’t happen. In hindsight, I wonder if they would have come back around and helped me out of the icy waters if they would have toppled me over…
Regardless, after that little stint, I laid down on my board, soaking up vitamin D, reflecting on what had just happened. A couple thoughts came to mind: 1. “If the Ocean can calm itself so can you. We are both salt water mixed with air.” – Nayyirah Waheed 2. She stood in the storm and when the wind didn’t blow her away, she adjusted her sails. – Elizabeth Edwards
Most importantly…
When life gives you waves, ride them. – Me.
We all have our ups and downs. The good times and bad times, but that’s life as long as we’re in the present moment and breath through those waves we can’t be toppled.
It’s supposed to rain for the next couple days, but I likely see myself on my board before the week is up!
Happy Easter!
Love, Jes
Xoxo