Just Like Old Times, Except Not Really

The past week reminded me how much I love spending time on the lake. It was such a wonderful experience. Although very different from what it was in the past, there were things that seemed very familiar. I remember my mom being her happiest at the lake, I feel a lot of that same happiness. Whether at the beach, the lake, a river or spring, they all give me a peaceful, calm feeling of joy and relaxation. Except at the lake, it feels different, it is almost like I am close to my mom while I'm there. I’m not sure I can explain it, but it is a feeling like no other. Not only do I think of her while I am there, but I also like to imitate her adventurous side while I'm there. I want Frankie to have that same call to adventure. One thing that has not changed since I was little, I am still the first one off the boat as soon as the engine turns off. Something my mom and I always did when I was younger. Luckily my uncle Alan is still alive on earth and my cousin Ian reminds me so much of him that even though he was not with us this year, it felt like he was.

My husband, Frankie, my cousin Ian and his three kids were just cruising the lake one morning, looking for a nice place to drop anchor and take a dip. I overheard Ian telling the kids about when we were younger DeeDa (what the kids call Alan) would always know which island on the lake had the rope swing. No sooner did Ian get the words out of his mouth, he pointed to an island that had a rope swing made with a water-skiing tow rope. Mind you, this is a totally different lake than the one we grew up going to. Anyway, he said to pull closer, drop the anchor and he would check to see if the swing was safe for us to swing from. During his inspection, Ian noticed that there were rocks under the water just shy of where you would land if you didn’t swing out far enough. As he looked further, he noticed that there were also branches coming up under the water, so we decided it was too risky and unsafe to allow any of the kids to try it, therefore we didn’t try it. Still, I couldn’t help but think back to the good old days when Alan would do the same thing for us as kids.

After that didn’t work out, we decided to find the little white sand beach that Frankie noticed on a previous boat ride. As soon as we located it, we dropped anchor and went for a swim. Ian and his son swam ashore to explore the island and Frankie and I floated behind. As I got us closer to the shore, I told Frankie to stand up and as soon as her little feet hit the bottom, she quickly pulled her feet back up, landed back in my lap and refused to put them back down again. She did not like the way the bottom felt. It wasn’t grainy like the sand on the ocean floor that she is used to feeling, it felt more like mud, squishy and slick or as she said “gross”. So, we floated back out and just enjoyed swimming around the boat. It wasn’t long before everyone else was in the water too. After a nice swim, we climbed back aboard the boat and ate a little lunch, then drove back to the dock. During our boat ride we reminisced of all the fun times we had on Lake Lanier growing up. Recalling the days that Alan would just drive the boat right up on the shore of an island, pitch a tent and camp out for the night. Ian made the comment that being out there made him want to buy a boat. I told him that it makes me want to buy a Lake House.

As we arrived back at the double decker dock, everyone else was chilling on the dock. Some of the ladies were sunbathing, the older kids, my nephew and his friend were jumping off the top deck of the dock. Just like that I realized that all the while we were out looking for something adventurous to do and those who stayed back, made the adventure happen right there on the dock. So, although things aren’t as they have been in the past, the legacy of my mom and her adventurous side, lives on when we are there, through all of us. Not just me, but my sister, my nephew and my cousin. I know she was there with us. Not only did I see her in the yellow butterflies fluttering by each day, but in the fun, the laughter and adventure that was with us all at the lake. I am forever grateful for the memories she created with us as kids. I am truly grateful for each day I get to spend with my family and friends on adventures and making happy memories. As I document these times, I can only wish these memories are cherished by others as much as I cherish them. Just as I cherish all the memories of the adventures we had growing up. Just like old times!