I grew up going to Northern Michigan in the summer, and so has my husband. Now, my kids have ‘inherited’ these precious weeks that we spend up north with our families. We spent one week on Lake Michigan; another on Big Glen. Each time we were surrounded by family. Neither week went “according to plan,” but I’ve realized they rarely do any more, especially with so many kids under one roof.
With decades of history visiting Michigan, I tried to document what “our spots” in Michigan have come to mean to me, and I kept failing. In my journal, I kept writing in fragments… of how the sand feels the first time I step into it after months of being gone. Of searching for rocks and always being excited every time I find a Petoskey and show it to my dad. Of the kids burying my feet in the sand. Of laughing as we make fools of ourselves when we play mini golf. Of intense rounds of Double and Triple Solitaire. Of how the kids love jumping in the waves just like I used to. Of sitting under the stars and hoping to find a shooting star.
But none of the snippets conveyed what Michigan means to me… and I think that it’s because it’s a “feeling” more than anything: of peace, of relaxation, of being present.
We arrived home Saturday night, and as I pulled into my driveway, I thought about how I feel in Michigan, and asked myself: can I bring those feelings home with me?
Can I spend more time outside?
Can I shut the computer a little more often (at least when it’s nice outside and the kids are home) and run through the backyard without shoes on?
Can we actually finally have a fire in our backyard (we’ve been talking and not doing it for far too long)?
And the answer to all of them feels like a resounding YES.
It won’t be quite the same, because, hello, adult responsibilities. But when I start feeling anxious or like I’m spinning… sometimes I just need to step outside and take a deep breath. Sometimes I just need to remind myself of what nature and time with family can do for my soul.
Michigan is more than just a place to me. It’s a feeling, and I plan to carry that feeling with me for as long as I can.
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