I am getting really excited. Can you tell? Lord willing, in less than 2 weeks I'll be back home in Hawaii. I'll be staying in Kailua less than 2 blocks from the beach and less than 2 blocks from the house I grew up in. Like I said, I could not be more excited. I thought about all the things on my Hawaii bucket list while I was working out today.
Almost everything involves being in fairly good shape. If the Lord grants me good health, here's what I hope to do:
- Surf the South Shore (Waikiki, Queens, etc.).
- Paddle with my canoe club in Kailua.
- Sail to the Mokulua Islands.
- Hike to Kaena Point.
- Bodysurf Kailua Beach.
Furthermore, if it's the Lord's will, I plan on speaking the Sunday I'm there.
You know, I never even considered returning to Hawaii until after Becky went home to be with the Lord. But a month after her death, I was back home surfing and swimming. It was just what the doctor ordered. Since then I've tried to get back annually, but this will be my first post-Covid trip. I just can't remember when I wanted to stop surfing. As as kid all I thought about were waves. I played lots of basketball and volleyball. But surfing always brought me the greatest joy. For much of my life I've been a teacher. But for all of my life I've been a surfer. Have you noticed how sports is a way of life that gives you back far more than you invest?
I have. We can all find the right way forward if we're willing to take the risk of moving off the spot we're stuck on.
Being active makes no promises. It doesn't promise to make you thinner. It doesn't promise to make you smarter. It doesn't promise to make you live longer. It doesn't entitle you to anything other than the joy of being mobile. And that's enough.
Not to get too metaphysical about it, but I think God made the earth for us to enjoy. In the end I believe the best reason to get outdoors is simply because you can. It's a gift from God. I came to an active life not because I wanted to but because I didn't know what else to do after Becky died. I was lost, and the only way out seemed to be on my feet. All it took was that simple first step.
How about you?