Yes, paddle boarding. I tried it for the first time while at camp this month and loved it. Partner doubted my natural ability, so instead of taking pictures, he held my sunglasses and cleared the children out of the area so they wouldn't witness a drowning. So, I did a brief google search to find photo representations of my experience.
There are two things not accurate about this photo. First, I don't wear 2 piece swimsuits. Second, the paddle board I used was white, not purple. And while I didn't *actually* do this yoga pose, I probably could have. If Partner would have calmed down long enough to single parent for 2 months so I could spend that time on said paddle board, perfecting my form.
There are two things not accurate about this photo. First, I don't wear visors. Second, Partner was a lifeguard in a previous life so both myself and Kiddo 2.0 had lifejackets on. The kid part is totally accurate. Because after I realized I could maneuver a paddle board, I delicately created space for Partner's fears stuck Kiddo 2.0 on and paddled circles around Partner.
Pretty much everything about this photo is not accurate. But I picked it because it most closely represents my absolute favorite thing about paddle boarding: Centering. The key to paddle boarding is staying centered. The week leading up to my paddle board experience was a pretty chaotic one. I felt pulled lots of different directions with work and kids and extracurriculars. Then I found myself on this paddle board and I realized very quickly that if I focused on any one or any thing other than me on the board, I would look like this:
Except I wouldn't be in footie pj's. I don't do two piece swimsuits, but I also don't do footie pj's. I digress. Back to centering:
Considering how much time I spend, you know, making a living encouraging mental health, I've always really struggled with centering. For a rough patch in high school, I think it was to avoid some of the raw, insecure wounds I had at my center. For a good chunk of college and grad school, I made the grade focusing on everyone else's center. But life like that isn't sustainable, so I had to start looking at my center. And that was hard. And that is still hard. Until you have an ice cold lake staring right back at you. Then you spend time focusing on center. Until you have an injured family member or big life decision. Then you spend time focusing on center.
So my hope is that we continue to have paddle board moments. Moments to center without a crisis as the driving force. May we have the courage to try it, the motivation to make it a priority, and the grace to hold each other's sunglasses for when we fall.
