August 22, 2020. For those of you who know me well, you’ll know, I don’t like to be cold. I really don’t enjoy it, and, to be honest, I avoid being cold whenever possible. With that in mind, the idea of swimming in Black Earth Creek makes me shiver just thinking about it. On our last hike, I wadded in the water and it was more than enough for me.
Today, we returned to the Wolf Run Trail with the commitment to let the kids play in the water again and the sense that I would merely wade in it once more (which, to be honest, felt like a remarkable feat given how warm and sunny the shoreline looked and how ice cold my toes were).
As I watched Elijah and Penelope splashing and laughing in the water today, I realized I wanted to be there too. Not so much the being cold part…I still wasn’t excited about that…but I wanted to laugh and swim and be with them as they joyfully played in the water.
I told them, “I’m going to do it! I’m coming in!” But then, with each step I took, I seemed to lose my bravery. My mind was like, “Yes you can!” And my feet were like, “Hard pass. Thanks!” Then I heard the kids say, “Be brave, mama. You can do it!” And I was flooded with images of the ways my kids are brave every day.
They are brave to hold a space for the big, hard feelings. They are brave to go back to school, even though it will look different and feel a bit scary. They are brave to stand up to racial injustice. They are brave to stand against meanness and choose kindness. They are brave to fight for women’s rights. They are brave to engage healing. They are brave to care about our earth (even if it makes things less convenient). They are brave to be themselves, even if the world tells them otherwise. They are brave to try new things. They are brave to meet new people. They are brave when they seek to understand varying perspectives. They are brave to make mistakes. They are brave to be imperfect. They are brave to forgive. In short, Elijah and Penelope are awe-inspiringly brave!!
As I stood on the shoreline hearing, “You can do it mama, be brave!” I thought, my goodness, if my kids can be brave in all those ways I’ve listed (and more), the least I can do is get in some cold water. And so I did.
What a profound gift to have kids who embody and demonstrate such remarkable and inspiring bravery each day!! They grow me, just by being them.
PS: A special thanks to a husband who also doesn’t really like being cold but gets in the water anyway!
KNEP Hikes 