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Captain Kayak

by Karen Izzi Piergalline, ©2003

For the first time since April, or was it March, I celebrate seeing the sunshine from a clear, blue sky. Bruzzi, my Jack Russell Terrier puppy, and I head out to Marsh Creek State Park for the first kayaking adventure of the season. On this quiet morning we take notice of the banks dotted with egrets, herons and smaller birds all competing for our attention. In the calm water, he and I wander by without disturbing them.

We enjoy our time together today more than usual as we make an incredible discovery. Silence.

I admire the puppy’s sense of stillness and the fact that he doesn’t take on my everyday stresses, such as having enough money, balancing household chores with a work schedule, or the gloomy effects of all that rain.

As I enjoy the calmness of finding my center, he reaches his neck out to smile at others paddling by. Bruzzi listens with a tilted head to the chant of various songbirds and sits proudly as I paddle. The high speed of the rest of the world no longer exists. This silence is golden. Today is noiseless, peaceful, motionless and naturally beautiful. We take it all in.

I think too often we enter the day without a single prayer. We forget the pleasure in such calmness. We forget to be nice. We become lazy about the things we learned in kindergarten, such as manners and kind words for others. Maybe we are afraid to face the silence of sitting still.

From now on, I will try to remember. This joy causes me to feel idle, but somehow, more complete. Being guided through the water improves my appreciation of having a strong spiritual path to follow. I am thankful for a time such as this one, on the water, near the trees, with the sun in my eyes. Suddenly, kayaking with Bruzzi confirms what a precious gift we have, to be alive and well. Slowly it erases the memory of gray skies and pouring down rain.

My best friend and captain of the kayak decides to rest his head on my arm, forcing my paddle to rest. By embracing moments like these, we can learn to switch our thought process into a more peaceful, balanced mode. We can enjoy more of our lives—just sitting still.