Absorbing a moment to see me through the winter
After a full day of traveling around the county covering various things, I drove past the lake late this afternoon and it dawned on me that I haven’t spent nearly enough time there this summer.
The further we get into summer, the more possessive I get about summer days and the lake. I’m inclined to keep the schedule as clear as possible figuring we wait all winter (that seems twice as long as summer) to spend sunny days at the lake. It is hard to admit that, but I feel like we have a limited number of, in particular, sunny Saturdays, and should reserve as many as possible for family-filled lake days. That’s what it’s all about. That’s why we even have “the lake.”
Upon returning home, we went up there as a family for a swim. To save time I wore my swimsuit up there, cast the towel immediately on the picnic table and made a bee line for pier. The kids chose the beach and toys and neighbor boys – I had my mind on something else.
After overcoming the initial shock of the temperature (a bit cooler than expected from the recent rainfall), I slipped into the water and made my way out to the newly stationed buoy…at that moment, I realize perfection, my ideal moment in time…an experience I always try very hard to envision in mid-January when the snow is piling up in its white bleakness.
The sun was shining with the ideal balance of temperature and low humidity. To add to it, the wind made the water a little choppy. I stayed out there by myself paddling around for a very long time trying to soak it in. I closed my eyes tightly, kicking the water – trying to absorb the moment so that on a winter’s evening, as I’m walking in a long coat in ankle-deep snow I can recapture a bit of the glory of the best part of a summer day.