As you all know, Carpenter and I love adventures. Every camping trip has turned into one and even some regular days have turned into adventures, just buy chance. Some of those have been blog worthy and have been posted here. Some are still very much blog worthy, and will one day be posted here as well, that is if I ever find the time.
There are those that will never be posted, because my Mom reads this blog, and, there is some dirty laundry that I just can’t air here, knowing that she will be reading it . I have given her fair warning that her stories are very much indeed “Blog worthy”. Still, I value my life.
Now, just because these stories are not displayed here for all the world to read, do not assume that we wouldn't share them with you over a meal ,or a glass of wine. No, I’m not fishing for an invite, I’m just saying.
We find ourselves on the cusp of yet another adventure that has less to do with an adventurous camping trip, and more to do with the gut-wrenching, life altering decisions we have to make. And as in our adventures in the past, this too hold some life lessons I’m sure.There are many life lessons to be learned and in fact, I am sure we are by no means finished learning them. I watch my kids learn these little things everyday.
Just a few weeks ago both the girls experienced little lessons that will stay with themfor quite some time , and left an impression on me.
For Gem, it came when we went to a gravel pit area, to shovel some gravel into the truck. While Carpenter and I were hard at work, Gem was desperately trying to climb the steep gravel slope up to the tree line. Each time she attempted to start climbing she would go only a short distance and slide back down. She climbed. The gravel gave way. She slid back down. She would take a deep breath. Climb. Climb. Climb. The gravel gave way. She slid back down. Climb. Climb. Climb. She slid back down. She was frustrated. And angry. And crying. Carpenter and I told her to try walking on an angle across the slope and that she would have more success. She tried that for a few minutes and it seemed to work . Until she went back to climbing vertically again. But this time, she was on a steeper part of the slope. She climbed. She slid. She took one step. She slid. Step. Slide. Step . Slide. Step. Slide. She gave it one last big effort.She took three quick steps. Lost her balance. She slid almost all the way back down. Tears streamed down her now dirty cheeks as she screamed and wailed. She throwing a temper tantrum, the likes of which I have not seen since she was 3. Carpenter and I shoveling away , gravel into the truck, could not contain our amusement. Which made her scream even louder, an cry even harder. She demanded that Carpenter come and rescue her NOW. She was not in any danger. So we told her to figure it out for herself. More screeching and wailing.
Jules, in the meantime, had found sheer enjoyment in climbing up the slope and sliding back down on her bum, and gladly explained to Gem, just how to do it. More screeching and wailing from Gem. Once again, we told her she was fine and more than capable of figuring how to get to the tree line or down to the bottom. She was not in any danger, so we were not about to “rescue” her just yet.
After about twenty minutes or so, carpenter and I heard “Mommy, Daddy, Look at me!” There was gem proudly sitting under neath a tree at the top of the slope. She was so proud of herself. She had calmed down enough and we could see her tracks walking on an angle right to where she wanted to be. She did it.Jules has been struggling for the past year, to ride her bike. She has gone from literally running behind other children on their bikes, trying to keep up with them, to riding a much-too small- trike reminiscent of the “big wheels” coveted when I was growing up. She had desperately wanted to ride her bike to school. I told her she could as long as she practiced.
She would cycle round and round the cul-de-sac. at frst, only going slowly, and I had to give her a push to get going. Finally one day she was able to ride her bike to school. As she finished the crest for the first hill, she stopped and said to me,
“Mommy, I DID IT! I’m so proud of myself, I feel like crying!”
It was at this moment, my little Jules had , a great amount of my genetics- in that she would cry at such an event… but as my Mother could verify , Jules had come by it quite honestly, as I inherited the trait from her. But more importantly, Jules had learned a sense and the value of accomplishment.
Over dinner one night we were talking to the girls about what they have learned. Gem said" I learned never give up- the tree at the top of that gravel slope, taught me that."
"I was so proud of myself, " Jules said triumphantly, "I felt as if the world was mine!"
That night when I checked in on them. I stood in the door way and watched them sleep. I said a small prayer, that they would always carry those little lessons in their heart and never forget. That little lesson for me, is sometimes hard to remember, especially in the light of what Carpenter and I are facing now. In order to fill a dream, there is an adventure we have to take, that is filled with sacrifices, and hard decisions. Like my girls, we will work through it.
It's time to capture our dream.
