The Best, Worst Day Ever



The chaos of our schedule of late has caused great tension in my household. Family obligations, meetings and sporting events have left little time for recreation. We awoke early Sunday morning to escape the piles of laundry and head to Family day at a nearby camp. A day of outdoor recreation seemed to be what my family needed and we were excited for the mini-break.

Picnic packed, we hit the road. Only a half an hour behind schedule for the one hour drive… Not bad considering we had to dig the summer clothes out of storage.  

Being first-timers to Family Day we were not sure exactly what to expect. Dennis and I kept an open mind, we were just happy to share in the girls’ excitement for the activities. As we pulled in the girls discovered a climbing wall and scaling the climbing wall became top on their list. We had a quick discussion of available activities and made a list of priorities.

After a quick attempt at the climbing wall, it was our turn for the trail ride. That is when the real adventure began…
 From where we live, an hour in any direction can mean a significant change in terrain. The camp seemed mostly flat, but Kansas hills can range from rolling to somewhat steep especially in areas with erosion. About three quarters through the ride, we went down a hill and Lillian slid off her horse. I was in front, but had turned around just in time to see it happen… She popped right up and was fine. However now she was standing in the middle of a line of horses. I called for help and instructed her to move off the path. I knew there were two helpers at the top of the hill and I was not about to get off my horse because I was now holding the line. In the chaos, Lillian’s horse broke formation and Amelia’s followed she panicked and I hollered at her to pull back on her reins. With that Amelia’s horse stopped, the helper got Lillian situated on his horse and walked beside her. We were back on track… for about 100 feet … Then my saddle began to slide. I had enough excitement for one ride so I hopped off and walked my horse as well. We arrived back at the corral without a scratch. (BTW, the staff was awesome and Lillie sees the helper as her hero.)

Lunchtime… We took a moment to re-group, said extra prayers, laughed and planned the afternoon’s activities. Prayer time in the chapel, then straight to the Canoes – my favorite.

The morning excitement behind us, we suited up in lifejackets and waited our turn to set sail. Our vessel arrived and we loaded up, shoved off and immediately tipped over into the water. We were off-balanced... In more ways than one. Another moment of chaos. As I was falling in the water, I swiftly pulled Lillie from the capsizing ship; Amelia was already in the water. It was impossible to stand on the muddy floor, so I grabbed my youngest and pushed her to the shore. Amelia held her own – unshaken… Lillie was in tears. By the time I calmed her down and turned around, Daddy and Amelia had rallied, and taken the canoe out on the water. After some kind attention from friends, Lillie ran circles in the sunshine in attempt to dry her clothes while I cleaned the silt off my sandals. She rallied and was ready to ride a canoe with Daddy at the helm. (She was sure I caused the capsize). (Again, staff was awesome... handled it like a pro.)

Boy, were our guardian angels tired! Time for another re-group. We sat in a circle of swings, laughed and decompressed while we planned the remainder of the day.

At that moment I realized a miracle had occurred. My family had just been put under tremendous pressure. Not once, but twice. We did not argue, blame or accuse and nobody expressed the desire to go home. We stuck it out, laughed it off and attacked the next adventure. This was not typical for us… and perhaps it is because our kids are finally old enough those meltdowns are rare… but I feel that God had given us a gift. Or perhaps it was more of a test. Either way, we passed and our reward was a perfectly uneventful time our remaining two hours at the camp.

As the day came to a close, we gathered to celebrate Mass in the chapel. I sat there with my children, safe and dry in the cool of the air-conditioning and felt an enormous presence. At that moment, I realized I have never felt so safe and protected by our fathers loving care. He brought us to the country to teach us a lesson, to see the good in the bad, to strengthen our bonds in trial and to lessen our anxiety.

The priest spoke of the Holy Spirit and holding up an image with wings outstretched … I felt him, watching over my family. I held an exhausted Lillie on my lap and watched my exuberant Amelia sitting in the front row, hanging on every word. I felt thankful and blessed. This truly was the best, worst day ever.