I am the proud owner of two kayaks. My family heard me talking about wanting to try kayaking, and they thought I’d love it. At first, they bought me two small ones—only later did I notice there was a weight restriction. So those went back, and we replaced them with two larger ones.

I wanted two because I imagined my husband and I paddling together, sharing this new adventure. But I waited too long. My husband has since passed, and now the kayaks sit at our cottage on Lake Michigan. Honestly, they’d be better suited for our calm local lake—but no, we apparently thought braving five-foot waves would be more thrilling. And to top it off, they aren’t even in the water yet. They’re gathering dust, stored away in a shed, waiting for their big debut.