Passing the Torch

Anyone who knew Scott, knew that he was passionate about kayaking.  One of his favorite experiences kayaking was at the beach when he was in the ocean and had dolphins jumping around him.  Scott was most at home in his kayak and always said that he felt closest to God when he was kayaking.

I have held onto Scott’s kayak since his death almost 8 years ago as it was his most treasured possession.  A few years ago I had decided to sell it, but was unable to find anyone interested and able to handle it comfortably as Scott’s kayak is a hybrid kayak not designed for a beginner.  

Getting back to kayaking has been a journey for me that started a few years ago with getting Jaelyn her first adult kayak.  When we bought Jaelyn’s kayak, Scott’s kayak was moved under our back porch.  This week when we were relocating all our kayaks to hang under our porch together, Jaelyn asked if she could use her dad’s kayak so her best friend, Cheyenne, could use Jaelyn’s kayak.  I told her that I would be thrilled and that it would mean a lot if she could use his kayak, but that if it wasn’t comfortable it was okay.  So today, we took Scott’s kayak to the family farm to try it out in the pond.  I told her to stay along the edge in the beginning where it was shallow in case she flipped it so it would be easier to get the kayak out of the water.  After a few minutes of getting used to how the kayak handled (very differently from a typical recreation kayak), Jaelyn looked very relaxed and comfortable in it.  I was feeling ALL the emotions in that moment.  It was bittersweet  to see her in Scott’s kayak —but at the same time my heart was so full seeing Jaelyn using and enjoying something that her dad was passionate about.  He would have been bursting at the seams with pride today.









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