I Blame Them for This Crazy Obsession

In her text reply she said she wished I had someone to share the experience with instead of being out there all alone.

 

I was alone. But I didn’t feel lonely.

 

I texted back to her that I did have someone to share it with. Her! 

 

She’s always been there for me. And in this crazy drive to get out and kayak as much as I could in my first kayaking excursions, I know where much of my ambition came from. 

 

To borrow from a famous quote from Abraham Lincoln, all that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother…and father.

 

My mom and dad.

I am what I am because of them.

So much of my joy in the wilderness stems from their love of nature that they shared with me. So much of who I am is because of them. Including this crazy kayaking obsession.

 

I feel courageous to go out kayaking because I saw my Mom pursue her interests even if she had to do them alone. I remember sitting out in the front yard summer evenings watching her practice her golf swing. On Mondays, her day off, I knew she often went snow skiing or golfing on her own.

 

When she wanted to know something she gathered all the books she could find about the subject and studied hard until she mastered the subject.

 

She loves sunsets, flowers, baby animals, and birds singing in the trees and passed that love to me.

 

Although Mom’s health has made it rough to get in and out of a kayak lately, there was a time she could go with me. I remember one time in particular at Tibble Fork Reservoir. We marvelled together about how the light sparkled on the water, delighted in the mother duck and her babies that trailed behind her near the shore,  and we laughed as we paddled here and there.

 

I’ll always cherish that day of kayaking.

I love being on a lake because growing up, our summer weekends with my Dad were spent at Willard Bay boating and fishing. I loved to watch the seagulls fly overhead. I loved the rocky shores.

 

I fell in love with the deep greens of the lake and the way the sun sparkles on the water.  Even though the deep water made me feel nervous, it also enchanted me. I loved how I could see the sunlight penetrate deep into that emerald abyss.

 

The other day while talking to my Dad on the phone I was telling him about my latest kayaking adventures. I told him of my plans to go out as much as possible and I explained how it fills me. He really listened and it made me feel loved that he took interest in what I really cared about. He said he thought it was great the way I was going out and doing what I loved.

 

We’ve not always been able to talk like this. Just recently there has been trust enough for me to open up. And what I found was love and encouragement. And a shared love of adventure in nature.

Montserrt Wadsworth gave a sentiment about how our ancestor’s pictures hang on our wall, but their “personalities, characters, struggles and successes are woven into” our souls. 

My parents personalities, characteristics, struggles and successes are woven into my soul and made me who I am.

 

They are in my heart and on my mind. I’m thankful to them for passing on their love of nature to me and the confidence to try. I feel so grateful for their love! 

 

It reminds me of these beautiful words by Native American Writer,  Linda Hogan:

All I am is certainly the result of their lives and love.

 

They gave me wings to show what I can become and roots to remind me where I’m from.

 

Hey Friend, now, I want to hear from you.

Who in your life has influenced you for good? How much of your current joy comes from what others have passed on to you?

 

Please leave a comment at the end of this post. Your stories are IMPORTANT and what you have to say just might be the very thing needed to inspire someone else.

Read the rest of the articles in this series:

1. Pick Up that Dream, Dust it Off, and Start Living It! My Story of Choosing to Live My Dream.
2. First Solo Kayak Trip:  3 Steps to Start Living Your Dream
3. Close Call to Catastrophe and What I Learned When Things Went Wrong .
4. Payson Lakes in the Fall: Finding Places of Connection and Wholeness
5. 3 Life Lessons I Learned Paddling Provo River Alone for the First Time
6. Paddling Utah Lake: Getting Un-Stuck in Life
7. Kayaking the Great Salt Lake: Paddling through a Sea of Clouds
8. I Blame Them for this Crazy Obsession 
9. Chasing the Sun to Sand Hollow Day 1: Why Sand Hollow is One of the Best Kayak Destinations in Utah
10. Getting Past Panic at Sand Hollow Reservoir
11. Chasing the Sun to Sand Hollow Day 2: The Joy of Being Surprised by the Unexpected
12. The One Thing That Makes it Possible to PursueYour Dreams
13. Life Seasons: Six Things You Can Do Right Now When Your Dream Feels Out of Reach

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