If there is anything that I have come to realize as a stay-at-home mommy it is the fact that my life is no longer my own. Gone have been the days of choosing what will be on my docket and enter the days of spit up, naps, karate practice, shopping, and being clan maid . Exercise is something that revolves around how quickly I can push the stroller with LD as I try to keep up with HS as he zooms around the neighborhood. Toning of biceps and legs happen during episodes of picking up and lugging LD all around the house and carrying groceries into the house as I try to avoid incoming flies and an adventureous kitty. I gave up a long time ago on heading to the gym for a good cardio class or swimming laps in the pool feeling the coolness of the water on a hot day.
FYI: I'm not looking for sympathy. I've chosen this life and having a man who serves in the military and is usually preoccupied with job just comes along with the territory. However, I will say that I'm going to get an hour or so every week just to go paddling with the outrigger club at the MWR here at Pearl. I've found this to be not only exhilarating, but downright zen-like when we are all in synchronized paddling mode.
Heading into the water with the outrigger takes any frustration that you may have had build up and reminds you that now is not the time to think. There is too much at stake...falling into the water, slowing down the boat if you are off stroke, or losing the paddle into the depths of Pearl Harbor make you pay attention. Today I was placed in the number 1 seat which is in the front of the outrigger. The main job of this position is to keep the pace. You are also the one that everyone can see so by gosh, form is everything. To say it was awesome is an understatement. From this vantage, the water spreads out in front of you like glass and the wind blows by and as you hear the count and pace called you know feel as if you were flying.
"Hoooo!" Shouts the counter.
"Hut!" We reply in unison as we switch sides and resume paddling without pause.
As you go gliding through the water in the outrigger, your upper body reaches out as far as possible to grab the water with your paddle zooming you further into the reaches of the bay. With each paddle my mind relaxes. Moments of "always on duty" mommy fall into the reaches of my mind allowing the outrigger to transport me away for the hour. Birds glide along the water and search for fish for a mid-morning snack. Jumping fish sparkle along the shores as they capture bugs and the palm trees sway to a tune all their own. As we return back to shore I'm amazingly recharged. I've had my hour. Time away and now ready to go back on duty. Yes, being a stay-at-home mommy has it's rewards, challenges, and frustrations. However, who cares about those things after a moment of zen paddling?
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