I was trying to think of a story to share today to celebrate lovely Monica…
One that came to mind was a summer excursion complete with all the workings of a Monica story – an adventurous idea, a bit of adversity, her positive attitude, and casually spoken words of wisdom that have stuck with me forever... that kind of thing :)
One late summer day, maybe in our early 20’s? Mon suggested we go white water rafting. This is something I’d never done before and would probably never do if it weren’t for her suggestion. Before now, I’d never even considered all the preparations she would have had to do to make this special adventure happen for us – make the booking, plan the route, get supplies, drive us there - I just grumpily climbed into her car when she came to pick me up before sunrise to get to Whistler that morning. (She was cheerful, energized, and excited, as you might guess!) We made our way up the Sea-to-Sky, I can’t remember what we listened to but I like to think we were singing along to Mariah Carey – it’s highly likely. We arrived on time, met the crew and the other rafters, and suited up in special wet suits that would protect us from the glacier water.
The rafting itself was a blast – it was a tour so an experienced guide was steering, all we had to do was paddle. Then we got to a calm section where we pulled the raft over for those who wanted to go cliff jumping. I distinctly recall at this point not even being the slightest bit worried because there was absolutely no way I would ever do that – I’d just sit in the raft and wait for the others. But Monica being Monica, in her lovely way, said to me: Of course it’s your choice to do whatever you want to do, but this is an opportunity you may never get again… are you sure you want to sit it out? She might have asked me two or three times – eventually I caved. She could have easily just gone ahead without me, or may have had her own fears herself, but instead she was thinking about me. She told me, “I’ll be right behind you the whole way.” And she was. And I still like to think of her saying that to me – I apply it to many situations when I’m scared!
The first fear to overcome was climbing a steep section of a cliff – in our bulky suits and water shoes, I might add. As I panic-breathed and clung to the rock like a starfish, she kept telling me I was doing great and to just keep going – there’s nothing to be afraid of. Except – there was! The rafter climbing ahead of us suddenly slipped and fell – backwards off the cliff face – into the water! (He was fine). But if I’d been panicked before – now I was petrified frozen. Couldn’t go up, couldn’t go down. I don’t know how she did it – just her gentle encouragement, positive attitude, and her somewhat magical ability to help others find their strengths – I made it to the top. Jumping off was also terrifying… but to skip to the end, we both conquered the climb, took the leap, made the splash, paddled back heroically, and recorded an epic memory. Now when there’s something I think I can’t do, when my fears are just too big, I think of Monica and her words of wisdom – of course you can always sit it out, but you’ll never be in this same moment again – so what if you gave it a try?
Sending all my love to Monica’s friends and family today. I’m so thankful that she was in our lives and made them so much better. xoxo