Thomas Rock, Big Bay, Michigan

The oldest of the three children led the way. His legs, swift and confident, were full of the kind of energy that only children possess. The two toddlers, however, already exhausted from the day’s adventure, were levied up by their father’s pull and hoisted high onto shoulders for the ride up the mountain. It was afternoon now and the urgency for nap time sat heavy on the sweet faces as their parents’ feet forged on the pressed red sand of the path.

The air is always different in the UP and as we reached the top of Thomas Rock, we collectively released our breath, letting out the stagnate energy within us. From every angle, the waters met with forest, blue and green defining the space. We moved June into the Ergo baby, where I kissed her head, both of us content to have her tightly nestled against me. And in that short moment, the entire world seemed just as it should be, all the pieces wedged perfectly into place.

We followed the young boy back down the hill, letting him run as he pleased, the rest of us pleased to watch him explore. A sense of peace overcame me then and I couldn’t help but think that maybe our greatest adventures are still yet to come.