Yesterday was our twelve year wedding anniversary. For our anniversary, I was determined to do something special for Andy. He has a long history of doing special things for me, year after year, and I wanted to do something nice for him that would be a BIG surprise. Over the summer, I had bought an old canoe to surprise him. Andy had always wanted a kayak but we just were not prepared to spend the money at the time. So, I found the second best thing, in the meantime, and it was something we could do together. One late August evening I planned for a babysitter to watch the kids and we would go pick up the canoe at a friend’s house where it was being kept. Andy had no idea of my plans. My friend lived just blocks away from an all sports lake, called Lake Orion. Finally, I told Andy what we were doing so he could prepare. Ironically, he had purchased a wrack for his car weeks previously because of an end of the season sale and because he was planning on purchasing a kayak the following year. Of course, I had encouraged him to do this since I needed a way to transport the surprise canoe.
Andy was surprised and very happy. It was a beautiful warm night and the weather was perfect for what we were about to do. Neither one of us had ever canoed before so we were definitely in for an adventure. Somehow, it worked out beautifully. We anchored the canoe to the roof of the car, drove it several blocks to the loading dock, gently placed it in the water, and took off! Of course, we had no idea that we had managed to point the canoe in the wrong direction and spent the entire evening paddling the canoe backwards! But this did not matter. We had pure fun. We paddled and explored the lake that has been sitting next door to us for 4 years. We connected and bonded again like we were back in college doing something crazy. Yep, we considered this a little crazy. When you have three kids and you live in suburbia, paddling on a rocky all sports lake can be one of the craziest things you will ever do, especially when you have never done this before. We got to see all the beautiful beach houses on the lake, the seaweed in the water up close, and the fish that quietly swam enjoying their marine life. We enjoyed conversation, exploration, and rejuvenation. We shared, we laughed, and we spoke of dreams. We revisited the Andy and Jen we married. Another point, when you get mixed up in the daily grind of the world two people who were once close often drift their separate ways. Connection is important in order to keep your family alive and kicking! The canoe connected us deeper and stronger and reminded each other of the love we knew we always had, sitting in front of our eyes. We only spent an hour canoeing around the lake and it was one of the most enjoyable hours of free time together we had in a long time. This little canoe trip ignited a space in our hearts that had been partially extinguished for a long time and it renewed our energy for each other. Since then, we have taken several canoe trips together and even spent time just simply picnicking and exploring new areas in our hometown. The idea has been to just enjoy each other without modern external distractions. Ironically, Andy received fishing gear as a gift and was able to actually purchase a kayak for himself on an incredible deal. He has gone fishing solo and with our children many times. He has enjoyed the peace, tranquility, and vibrancy that kayaking can bring. Overall, Andy has found another passion to develop deeper.
Andy was surprised and very happy. It was a beautiful warm night and the weather was perfect for what we were about to do. Neither one of us had ever canoed before so we were definitely in for an adventure. Somehow, it worked out beautifully. We anchored the canoe to the roof of the car, drove it several blocks to the loading dock, gently placed it in the water, and took off! Of course, we had no idea that we had managed to point the canoe in the wrong direction and spent the entire evening paddling the canoe backwards! But this did not matter. We had pure fun. We paddled and explored the lake that has been sitting next door to us for 4 years. We connected and bonded again like we were back in college doing something crazy. Yep, we considered this a little crazy. When you have three kids and you live in suburbia, paddling on a rocky all sports lake can be one of the craziest things you will ever do, especially when you have never done this before. We got to see all the beautiful beach houses on the lake, the seaweed in the water up close, and the fish that quietly swam enjoying their marine life. We enjoyed conversation, exploration, and rejuvenation. We shared, we laughed, and we spoke of dreams. We revisited the Andy and Jen we married. Another point, when you get mixed up in the daily grind of the world two people who were once close often drift their separate ways. Connection is important in order to keep your family alive and kicking! The canoe connected us deeper and stronger and reminded each other of the love we knew we always had, sitting in front of our eyes. We only spent an hour canoeing around the lake and it was one of the most enjoyable hours of free time together we had in a long time. This little canoe trip ignited a space in our hearts that had been partially extinguished for a long time and it renewed our energy for each other. Since then, we have taken several canoe trips together and even spent time just simply picnicking and exploring new areas in our hometown. The idea has been to just enjoy each other without modern external distractions. Ironically, Andy received fishing gear as a gift and was able to actually purchase a kayak for himself on an incredible deal. He has gone fishing solo and with our children many times. He has enjoyed the peace, tranquility, and vibrancy that kayaking can bring. Overall, Andy has found another passion to develop deeper.
This old yellow canoe inspired us to go places that we never would have gone any time too soon if we had not ventured to get into that lake on that warm summer evening. I mean this in many ways. We needed the canoe to help bring us closer together as a couple and a family. That old canoe inspired creativity and passion in our hearts and simply helped us see beyond our own barriers in life that we had built. Doing something out of the ordinary reopened a space that we had forgotten about and allowed us to see things that were always their between ourselves and within our family. In addition, my friend who helped surprise Andy with the canoe stood on the Lake Orion shore and took a picture with her cell phone. It was one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen on a cell phone! The colors were healing colors that cannot be justified in words. I took the picture and had it made into a 20” X 24” oil painting and framed it for our anniversary gift so that we could forever have an image of the ‘backwards canoe ride’ hanging over our bed in our room. It was an appropriate gift for the renewal I felt and the love that was reignited in our hearts. Now, we will always have a story to tell of the two people that are paddling a backwards canoe.
1 comment:
What a great visual, Jen. You have a beautiful way with words and it is so important to stay connected with your spouse through the simple pleasures in life. Well said!
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