When the Weather Is Right for Kayaking, Go.

While writing my reflections on lessons learned this summer, the title was a biggie: When the weather is right for kayaking, go.

This summer flew by.

For Mother’s Day, my beloved gave me a 10 pass to kayak or paddle board on our nearby lake.  Our intention was to have 10 tandem get-aways this summer.  Just us. Just the lake and a couple of hours outdoors and some sore muscles to show for it. Refreshment of the soul.

Last month (August!) we ate the first 3 of our passes by taking ourselves, the kids, and my sister-in-law paddling.  Not very romantic, but we were on the same lake at least.

This past week, just as school is beginning, we’ve gone twice.

On the lake in a kayak there was nothing to clean, nothing to download, no one calling, and no “sure, in just a minute.” We were in the now. We could paddle together and talk. When discussion got heated, we could paddle faster and it helped!  We could be silent.  We could breathe in the day and begin to stop the inner noise. We could dream.

Next summer, I’d like to hold fast to the commitment, rather than the intention, to afford ourselves this time.  It refreshed me beyond measure to connect with my favorite man on the water.

Hold me to it.

Julie Ford is a certified life coach, speaker, writer, facilitator and trainer. She helps organizations support their high performers through parenting transitions. With one-on-one and group coaching, she helps her clients to define what matters most in their lives, and to realize what is and isn’t working. Collaboratively, they move through a customized plan to find more joy and less chaos in the everyday.