Special walks and quarantine

Yesterday I took a short hike at my favorite spot. Not far, a cardio challenge, and pretty. It had been snowing so I knew that the path might be slippery but I was fine with that. I was planning on wearing snow pants and sliding most of the way down on my butt. It is a lot of fun and only slightly embarrassing if other people are around.

This hike was special because my two oldest would be joining me. While my daughter and I walk here whenever she is visiting from Montreal, my son only comes here if his sister guilts him into it. I have never been here with just the two of them and I was looking forward to it.

My son is 15 and fully embracing the “teenager within”. He is an awesome person but he is really in a zone where he chooses to spend as little time with us as possible. Not that he is being mean. We just aren’t that interesting to him and we ask him to do stuff, which he finds annoying. To that end, he wasn’t particularly chatty during our excursion and walked far ahead of us. Either he was trying to challenge himself by getting to the top quickly or pretending he didn’t know us. As there were no other hikers, I am going with the first thought. It makes me feel better.

The hike up was wonderful. My daughter and I talked and enjoyed the beauty of the mountain. Every now and again my son would look back to see if we were still there. In too short a time we were together at the top. During a brief photoshoot, it was decided that the descent should be done running. Of course, no one suggested that I run with them which was fine by me. Even on my best day, during a summer day, I would never run down the mountain! I may be crazy but I am not stupid. Yet who am I to protest? Just their mom. So, before they dashed off, I quickly reminded them that if someone got injured the other would be carrying them to the car… and off they went.

I was happy with how good the energy was between us during the hike. The five of us have been together since December 20th due to vacation and Covid restrictions and it has gone surprisingly well. These two mostly get along great. But when they have been around each other too much, and with my son’s “teenage” attitude, it can lead to a lot of tension that affects everyone. There was none of that during our snowy adventure. As I followed after them all I heard was laughter and happy screaming. They even stopped briefly to admire my expert butt sliding technique. It is possible that they filmed me but as long as I don’t end up as a meme I’m good.

One of the strange things about snow is how it makes everything seem brighter. Mix that with all of the tree cover and no watch… and it is hard to know the time. Suddenly I realized that it was starting to get dark and, sure enough, by the time we were at the bottom my daughter was using her phone to light the way. I was just about to congratulate us for braving the mountain in the dark when a couple with 2 young children, snowshoes, and headlamps passed us on their way up! So cute… and motivated.

I get to spend a lot of time with my youngest child, but more and more, my older two have their own lives so our time together is limited. While I am in awe of their evolution, I cannot help but feel a twinge of sadness that one is out of the house and one is edging closer. I know in my head they are doing what they should but my heart feels their absence. That is why activities like this are even more precious.

To that end, the hike was a wonderful way to spend time together. Everyone, even my son, was in a good mood and the ride back was peaceful and happy.

I am aware that Covid-19 has turned our world and lives upside down in so many ways. Too many lives lost, people scared and confused, finances run amuck, and more. But for me, the silver lining has been these mandated quarantine periods. The five of us have spent months together since the beginning of the pandemic! Think about it. Aside from holiday breaks, when are we all together for such extended periods? Even having Covid, which was awful, was bearable because we were together. I know many people who had to tough out the illness or quarantine alone. And, while I would never wish for another such event, family time just might be the one positive thing about it. That might also just be “mom” talking.

As long as I can continue to take them, all walks will be meaningful in their own way. But any walk that gives me a little extra time with my kids will always fall into the category of a special walk.