Lessons from a Kayak

Life doesn’t hand you a motorboat. Most days, it’s a kayak—one paddle, one person, and a lot of figuring it out as you go.

Motorboats are for people who like speed, money, and confidence. Kayaks? Those are for people with balance. Which is exactly why I’ve never set foot in one. I can trip over a flat floor, so climbing into a kayak is basically begging the fish to get a free laugh. Honestly, I’d rather be the one on shore with a chair, a snack, and a towel ready for whoever tips first.

But even from land, I get it. Some days in life feel like gliding across smooth water—work goes well, the house is (mostly) in order, and the current carries me along. Other days? I’m spinning in circles, paddling hard but not making any progress—kind of like trying to juggle work, family, and a house that seems to breed laundry and dust.

And then there are the upstream days, when every paddle stroke feels like a battle. Parenting through arguments, getting through big life changes, or just dealing with the unexpected. I think about when Jessica decided to join a sorority on her own—that was her choosing her own current. Nathan joining the reserves? He picked up his paddle and charted his own course, discipline and all. Brad moving out? He’s figuring out his strokes too, decorating and building a life that doesn’t match mine but is uniquely his.

Watching them, I realize kayaks teach the same truth life does: no one else can paddle for you. People can float alongside, shout encouragement, or even warn you you’re heading into the weeds—but in the end, you’re steering your own boat.

So no, I’ve never been in a kayak. But I’ve lived like one: unsteady balance, uneven strokes, drifting when I needed a break, and the occasional tip-over. The good news? I’ve always managed to climb back in. And unlike kayaking, at least in life I don’t end up soggy… unless you count cleaning bathrooms.

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