Family Camp was wonderful.
On our last day at Lake Tahoe, my daughter, Mimi and I rented a double kayak and we decided to paddle out to the part of the lake where the color of the water reaches is deepest blue. I have no idea how far out it was, but we were paddling for the better part of a half hour when we decided, finally, to turn around. After looking at a map that marked the depth of the water in Tahoe, I know that the bottom of the lake was some 1500 feet below us, and I can report that when we reached the bluest part of the lake, we felt as if we were paddling through liquid sapphire. The water’s hue was as deep as the lake its self and the lake’s surface didn’t reflect the sunlight so much as it refracted it. It was magical.
I have visited Tahoe on several occasions, and have always looked up at the mountains, which are spectacular and inspiring. Even while on the lake, I’ve always looked up. But this time, I’m glad I looked down into the water and encountered the beauty I’d missed because I was too preoccupied with looking into the distance.
I think there is a spiritual lesson here. In our lives it’s good to take a long view, to contemplate the beauty that awaits us in the distance, to have aspirations, goals and ambitions. But it’s also important to be delighted by the beauty and mystery and wonder that can be found in our more immediate surroundings. This is a good thing. After all, we’re not always able to climb the mountains we see in the distance, but we can find the beauty that abides nearby.
Now that we’ve all come down from Tahoe let’s help each other remember this: we live in a world of wonders, filled with beauty and adventure, and frequently the wonder and beauty and adventure are to be found in far off places. But not always. Sometimes the best place to find beauty and mystery and adventure is right beneath the kayak on which we are sitting.