Camping has never been my favorite thing to do. In fact, I avoid camping at all costs usually.
I do have my reasons. Since my honey and I have been married we have camped in temperatures below twenty degrees. We have camped in torrential rain. We have camped in fifty mile an hour winds and had to sleep in the car because the tent kept blowing over. We have camped at over ten thousand feet elevation and I spent the night with heart palpitations. We have camped on an air mattress that popped at two o'clock a.m. So you see why I might avoid the whole adventure no matter what.
I love the "day" part of camping though. The hiking through forests and star gazing. The being in nature and sitting by the river or better yet on rocks in the middle of a river. Roasting marshmallows for smores and telling stories by the campfire. Watching my children explore outside. All that is great.
So, having said all this you may wonder at my next admission. We went camping this past weekend and I had a fabulous time! Can you believe it? I can't. I also can't believe that I was the one who suggested we go. While my oldest girlie is at sleep away camp for the first time, eeeekkk, it just seemed like the right thing to do for "the boys".
Friday morning over lattes, we decided to go. We were packed and off in the next hour and a half. We had divine order in finding the BEST spot. At the end of a loop right near the river. As though it were just waiting for us. Lots of room for the boys to run, throw balls, ride bikes and just be their exuberant selves.
The sleeping divine. The food creative. The weather perfection. Nature gorgeous. And, really the only thing I can think is wow. I can't believe it.
My four year old found some discarded fishing line along the river and proceeded to attach it to a long stick. He sat for hours in the middle of the river "fishing for tuna". Didn't have the heart to tell him that tuna may be hard to come by in these parts. nope. Instead I nodded and smiled when he told me that he wouldn't catch the baby fish because that would be mean. But, when he did catch his tuna or rainbow fish that he would let the big daddy cook it up for dinner, thank goodness.
I sat knitting on a boulder in the middle of the river soaking it all in. The river my new solace. Camping rapidly redeeming itself.
The big daddy said something interesting that I've been wondering about since. On the last morning after packing up all the small things I went down to the river with the children. He stayed to pack up the tent and shade. He said, "That it doesn't take as long to take/tear down camp as it does to build it".
As I watched the children play and immerse themselves in nature I pondered this statement. That applies to life doesn't it? It takes no time at all to tear something down and a lot of time to build it up. So there...in nature you have epiphanies too. And, lessons to live by.
I do believe we will be camping again soon.
Amazing.
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