Times and Tides

Once again, a story from the lake. Is this how it's going to be this summer? Who knew so many lessons and stories could come from a day at the lake? Not me. But, I'm open to learning ... goodness knows.

Obviously, we find learning to be "easier" when we are young. Proof positive...my kids. I am loving living life watching it through their eyes. Experiencing things for the "first" time as they experience them. Watching their reaction and relishing in the moment.

I'm not trying to make this deeper than it needs to be. Life is just touching me differently these days and I'm trying to take it all in and remember it. Sometimes I look at things that happen, songs I hear, whatever as a "sign" or "fate", as I'm known to say. Lots of pictures are being taken, both mental and physical - even when I forget my camera and have to rely on my phone. Bad photos happen this way. But, at least I got them.

Another weekend of "firsts" and good times with family and friends...

Belle's first time to tube on the lake! Is this child scared of anything? If so, we just haven't found it yet. I was...and I'll say it...terrified to let her hang onto a big round floatation device while being pulled by only a rope behind a boat on a huge body of water that I cannot see into. Oh no problem. My friends, whose children have been doing this since they were three years of age...what?...sweetly encouraged me telling me she was more than ready. LT said, "Mom, you need to let her do this. Let her go." Let go? She just turned six. She's my baby. She's my very strong-willed, life-loving, energetic, experience-new-things, let's-go-faster daddy, baby. Time for me to step back and let her experience this. Here goes...

Of course, she had the best time ever. She quickly picked up the hand signals for "faster", "slow down", "stop" and "jump the waves". Her most-used hand signal you ask? The thumbs-up sign...faster.

Promise me, Belle that you will know when it's time to slow down and soak up those moments of life you don't want to forget. Don't speed fast-forward through everything. It's okay to coast sometimes and just enjoy the scenery. You've got time. There's no need to rush. Sorry...didn't mean to get deep.

And Ben...yes he tubed too (far right in the photo), but he did something else even more spectacular, at least to me. He went on a sunset cruise around the lake with just Daddy and got to drive the boat for the first time. My little man. When he came back, he wasn't jumping up and down like he was after tubing. He quietly came up to me and said, "Dad let me drive." gulp. Not that him actually taking the wheel was so dramatic since D was right there directing him, but that it was monumental to him is what I cherished about it. And it was. He saw it as something serious and I love that.

He's already starting to take the wheel in so many aspects of his life. When Daddy travels, he does things around the house he normally doesn't do because he is the "man of the house" when Daddy isn't here. He acts different. He acts older. In these moments I'm thankful for such a mature son, but don't want him to grow up too fast. He deserves to be a kid with no worries, or at least as very few as any kid should ever have. I want that for both of them. As parents, it's my firm belief to allow them to be kids as much as possible. We often hide the "scary" stuff from them so they are able to do just this. We make sure they are safe, physically and psychologically while all the while...releasing them just enough at just the right time for new experiences. We are supposed to show them the right way to take chances and learn. Grow. Develop. Have fun. It's delicate business.

Speaking of fun though...He also swam out to a barge in the lake with all the "big kids" and had a great time playing their self-invented, lake version of "king of the mountain". It was time for me to let go once again yesterday as I watched him swim out there, knowing he would have a great time even though it was out of my comfort zone. I'm sorry but it was far away! ...said the nervous mom. :-) I just sat and watched my two kids run in the tide, swim in it and have a ball.

I felt so nervous watching them do these things. I felt like I was taking a huge chance letting her on the back of that tube. I hadn't even asked D if he was ready for her to do it yet. Knowing him as I do though, he was in my head saying, "Of course she should go. Let her go, T." And, when I did tell him, he simply replied, "And she had a great time, didn't she?". Yesssss...she did.

I felt like I took a big chance even letting Ben on the back of the tube and then again when he swam to the barge. "Time to let him go. Let him experience it fully. You're here watching in case he needs you," said the little voice. Sometimes that voice is so hard to hear.

They both had chances yesterday to grow and so did I...in letting them take theirs. Chances present us with opportunities. Which chances we chose to take sometimes require a lot of thought. After all, not all chances are opportunities. And then others we just jump right into. Remarkably, sometimes we jump into the ones that we otherwise thought required great thought but were just sitting there waiting to be revealed! Just ask Ben as his dad literally pulled him into the lake last weekend off the Sea Doo. He knew Ben was thinking too much about it and needed help just making the decision. Sometimes jumping in is the only way to get it done. It's one sure way to find out about the chance!

When given a chance...especially another chance...we should see fit to make the most out of it. Sometimes it's hard to take chances. Equally difficult is to decide to give chances. Both require stepping out of our comfort zone. Both deliver new opportunities for growth. Some chances may not well-deserved, but you never know until you decide to let go of whatever is holding you back from stepping out. It's simple really. Kind of an "on your mark, get set...go!" thing.

I seem to be taking lots of chances these days and it's very scary...and invigorating, all at the same time. Life invites change. Life invites "chances"...good and bad. I'm trying to make the most of my chances. I'm putting it all out there and trying to do it right and be an example for my kids. I don't want to pass on my fears about life and taking certain chances to them. They need to make those decisions on their own. Yes, I'll teach them to be weary of the "important" things (snake holes for example! Yuck!), but sometimes...sometimes... the best way to learn about chances is to take them. Or at least that's what I'm experiencing.

Of course, I must leave this with a song ("Time and Tide" by Basia) I first heard a long time ago with someone who I took a chance on loving and am happy to say I still do. Every time I hear it - it takes me back. Enjoy...