Celebrating memories in the making
...where the imperfect is more perfect than we could have imagined.
The pontoon boat glided across the lake under golden evening sunshine. The forecast had been iffy, calling for storms off and on all day, but instead we were treated to perfect weather. I organized for 18 family members—almost everyone attending family camp this week—to take the boat ride. The camp staff graciously accommodated our request to take both boats out at once, so we could all go together.
But as the pontoon headed into a small cove, I thought I felt a drop, even as the sun still shined. “Am I feeling water coming from the sky?" I wondered aloud. As we exited the cove, the drops became more frequent and the sky rapidly darkened. Within about five minutes, it was a deluge.
My husband, an aunt, and a couple of cousins jumped into action to set up the boat's canopy, eventually raising it to its full height and protecting us from some of the worst. But they lost several minutes fighting with its difficult mechanism, and the wind brought the rain in sideways, so we were all soaked down to our underwear anyway.
Thankfully, my family is full of good sports. We were laughing as hard as we had all week, squinting into the pelting rain, as the staff member driving the boat asked us if we wanted to turn back, in between muttering, "This is crazy. This is crazy."
"No, no, just keep going," we said, through bare-faced grins and a few shivers. "This is memorable!" I said. “It’s refreshing!” another family member quipped.
Then, even as the rain beat down, a rainbow arced across the sky. As we continued to drive into the storm, it grew to a full semicircle. For a moment, one end touched down on top of the second boat in the distance while the other came to rest in the lake after passing in front of the forest on the bank.
A few minutes later, just as quickly as it had moved in, the storm moved on. The rain stopped, and the sun reappeared. My mom pulled out a mini brush to tame her drenched and windblown hair. I spotted a great blue heron perched on a branch sticking out of the lake, and pointed excitedly. A couple of minutes later, as we turned from the far end of the lake to head back to our dock, the white head of a bald eagle caught my attention backed by the dark forest. And the rainbow lingered through it all.
When we returned to shore, we were all cold and wet. But as we walked back to the cabin to change clothes, we were smiling, laughing, and talking excitedly, already weaving the boat ride into a tale that will go down in family lore. We had shared an experience we won't soon forget. One of my cousins-in-law even remarked that this was the best camp experience he'd had yet.
After we disembarked, a much smaller group got on for the final tour of the evening. Their ride would be lovely but uneventful. We had wanted to take that timeslot, but after much confusion and back and forth with various staff members over the course of the day, were told if we wanted both boats, it had to be the earlier time.
Sometimes the most memorable experiences—the ones that elicit smiles and laughter when they are recounted again and again for years to come—are the unpredictable ones. The ones that sneak up on you. The ones that you couldn't have planned if you tried, like a pontoon ride through a squall that was graced by rainbows and wildlife. The ones that you would never have conjured in your mind when asked to describe "the perfect fill-in-the-blank," but are actually more perfect than anything you might have imagined.
Praise God for the timing mix-up, and for His generous sprinkles of perfect imperfection throughout our lives.
When recognized after the fact, these special memories are still wonderful. But I feel blessed that this time, I realized in the moment that’s what we were experiencing. It helped me take it all in, and celebrate it for the gift that it was, despite the cold and wet.
And it made me so grateful for my family, that instead of complaining or bickering, teamwork, positivity, and adaptability were on full display. Beyond this boat ride, I’m so blessed that a large portion of my family decides to take a week out of their summer every year to attend family camp. It’s a YMCA camp that caters to families rather than just kids, but has all the same activities you would expect from kids camp: archery, riflery, swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, ropes course, kayaking, etc. etc.
Beyond all the official activities, though, mostly we feed the turtles cat kibble from the big back deck and play board and card games in the cabin. We reconnect over dining hall food and bottomless coffee. We play ping-pong and do jigsaw puzzles. We get up early or stay up late, or both.
Family camp is a tradition that my grandmother, now in her mid-90s, began with her six children (including my father) in the early 1960s. By now, the family is much larger. We’re up to four generations attending camp. It’s an incredible blessing, and I don’t take it for granted.
I hope and pray that this summer, you have memorable experiences that bring you joy and strengthen your connections with family and friends. I pray that you recognize memories-in-the-making as they happen. And that even if you’re heading into a storm, a rainbow is on the other side.
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
Genesis 9:12 - 15
This was a great story to read!! It reminded me of a family outing where we got hailed on and all ran for home. My grandparents just enjoyed it walking at their own speed under an umbrella.
Thank you for the joy!!