Carving Our Own Path

Once again I'm amazed and grateful for all of the supportive friends and family in my life:

Kristie Snyder & Glen Robertson
Elisabeth & Jon Harrod
Val & Bill Lalime
Keith & Ann Lalime

I've raised $785 thus far.  Working towards the 1/2 way point.

                                                                                ~

Yesterday I had a lovely day with my kids.  The morning I spent with Siera, we played games, made valentines and then ventured into the snow covered woods.  She spotted some tracks.  She was guessing they were cat tracks, maybe raccoon.  She said, "Come on mom, let's follow them".  Reluctantly I followed crouching under low branches, through briars, while hitting my head and trying to keep up with Siera's excitement.  I followed her lead, she found a few hiding spots that this invisible creature stayed in, slept in, found protection in, who knows?  More tracks, she looked and kept following. 

Later that day, I went to pick up Hana from an outdoor primitive living program.  She said, "Come on mom, let me show you what we did in the woods today".  This time, not so reluctantly, I followed.  She led. She followed the tracks that her clan made earlier that day, to retrace her location.  She slid down a snow covered hill, walked across brittle ice on a stream, well actually crushed while jumping the ice as we crossed.  She tracked her way back to a fire that she had helped to build just moments before.  She attempted to show me how to start a friction fire.

As I was following Hana, my mind traveled back to the woods adventure with Siera, following the paw prints.  I kaleidoscoped out to thoughts of my own adventure and focus on traveling to Haiti.  I was in a moment of seeing the different stages that surround me.  A 9 year old full of carefree adventure and exploration.  A 12 year old in the whirlpool of adolescence.  Some days full of adventure and pretend and other days striving for maturity, independence and responsibility. Me, a mom entangled in the roles of mother, wife, and teacher (among other things) wanting an adventure in the larger woods of life.  I realized that no matter our stage or age, we are all carving our own path as we go.