Adventures in Magic for Grandparents & Grandchildren

Adventures in Magic for Grandparents & Grandchildren live in the bonds forged between the young-at-heart and the young who fill our hearts.

In one of my Light Lessons blogs, you’ll remember the magic of childhood grandparents know for sure. Like the photo above – pretty magical seeing how the sunlight beam filtered through – shining right on our Grands, swimming-floating in the river!

Grandchildren and grandparents bring so much joy, love, hope – and adventure – into each other’s lives. There really is nothing like that bond that nurtures one another, sharing knowledge, experience and trust, and seeing it bloom in the eyes of the young. Children love to be with an adult who will spend time with them, especially in brand new activities – as well as traditions – that they enjoy.

Adventures in Tradition

For years now my husband and I have taken the Grands down river, canoeing the quiet – and sometimes exciting – waters of our beautiful local river. We have a canoe rental place that takes us all upriver, unloads the canoes for us, and sends us on our adventure… paddling away through sun and shadow, coasting, gliding… even swimming… and taking a break, finding river shells or water-worn stones and glittering micah … till we eventually make it back to their homeport.

Adventurer’s Paradise

Along the way, nature shines its beautiful face, and the shoreline is a paradise. Even the homes built on the one side are set back and enveloped in thick flora. On the other side, the land is completely undeveloped with ancient trees towering over us, or sometimes fallen across a part of the river, where we have to navigate our way around it. The water is glass-smooth or rippling with light, where the short rapids shoot us into the dark pools, and a soft breeze welcomes us to the next stretch. Below us the swimming fish are tiny, but we also have spied large catfish skimming the bottom. There are water bugs on the surface, turtles sunning on logs or rocks, crayfish hiding at the shore, butterflies dancing among the wildflowers, and herons and hawks gently soaring above us.

These are the quiet adventures that marinate in each of us – young and old.

Fun in the Adventure

The Grands lap it all up as if each bend or stretch in the river is another chapter in our river adventure, and learning experiences abound.

Paddling takes some learning, too: dipping, pulling, feathering, and back-paddling to change direction. Last time, our Grand and I got into quite a rhythm together – he was calling out navigation signals for right and left paddling: Starboard… starboard… port… port!

Bolt of Adventure

One of our trips became legendary, for it had rained hard the week before and the river was swollen at higher levels and faster water. The canoe outfitters informed us that a huge tree had fallen on one side of the river. They had marked it with a large flag and told us to avoid the rapids by steering far around it.

We all saw the flag. My husband and our younger Grand went through first. Smooth and steady.

I was ready… sitting in back, paddling and steering, and our grandson was in front, paddling and warning of rocks or debris ahead. We both intended to steer around it – but – somehow – I got us sucked right into the rapids! All at once the tree loomed ahead of us! Oh no!

Slam!

The canoe slammed into it! Our Grandson popped! Up! Out! Submerged in the swirling eddy! But his head popped up – I grabbed his arm – we held on – he grabbed the canoe – but the eddy turned us backwards! Going down the rapid backwards!

He hung on – and within seconds we were in the calm, quiet waters… but he was feeling the panic of it and couldn’t get to shore fast enough.

Fine – So Fine!

Rather quickly, he realized he was fine – so fine.

I was still shaking. But he and his brother decided they wanted to swim-float down this calm stretch of the river. I was surprised. Yet that was just the balm that re-filled our calm and confidence.

Today our Grand still enjoys canoeing down river – as much as he enjoys telling the story that has become a legend – a bolt of adventure – in his young life.

Legendary Adventures

One thing that our Grandson remembers in that incident, is that when he popped up in the swirling eddy. His first words were: “My water bottle!?!”

He laughs as he tells it because it was such an incongruous thing to say! It just spurted out of his mouth! It was so absurd to be in such dire straits – literally – yet those were his first words. Amazingly, the water bottle was still clutched in his hand! He saved the water bottle! He threw it into the canoe as he clung to the side, going down the rapids.

It’s all part of the legend. Our grandson learned that he had actually made a legend!

Adventures Revisited

When something fun, funny, amazing – magical happens – appreciate it! Acknowledge it! Celebrate it! Make it a new family legend! Show others their real everyday magic.

I tucked away his story and – what do you know – I used it in my second book: The Secrets of Windy Hill. A rather legendary happening takes place for my Jesse when he is riding his bicycle downhill and….

Well, I won’t be a spoiler. You can enjoy it for yourself. It is enough to say that another incongruous utterance follows a potentially dangerous mishap. Our Grandson loves that it is in the book and that it came from the inspiration of his own legend!

Come to Life!

It is simply another adventure – come to life – so easily, so magically, in the bonds forged between us and our Grands: young-at-heart grandparents and our young grandchildren. All with our…

LIGHT ON!