Carrie was texting my cousin, James, who is at the Jersey shore this week and he said every time he turned around he was reminded of our mom and our nana. I can always tell when Carrie is messaging the family because she is smiling, although that text also made her a bit teary.
We have been thinking about mom a lot on this trip. I see her in the color of my skin kissed by the sun. I see her in my sister’s eyes when she laughs. Mom is always looking back at me through my reflection in the mirror.
We hope mom and our dads and nana and uncle Bills and all of our ancestors are riding these waves with us. We hope they are cheering us on and keeping us safe. We hope maybe they’re even a little proud that we are just crazy enough to do this.
The infamous alligators were not on scene as I guided our vessel down the canal. We moved slowly down the straight path created by man and home to many wild animals we had only read about. John said there were definitely no fish in the waters as he cast and cast with no luck. A single deer sighting was the only evidence we had that the stories might be true.
I got us to the end of the canal and John took over. The skies started looking unfriendly but we are now versed in this so Carrie and I took action putting up the dodger and sealing the windows. Carrie called marinas and looked at maps while John fearlessly brought us to a local marina and safe haven.
We made it right before the rain started to fall and the skies began to rumble. Part of me wonders about our sanity taking this wild trip mid summer. My mother called me “Crazy Cris” for as long as I can remember. I like to believe the sound of exasperation in her voice was mixed with a little pride as she saw a reflection of herself.
Your mom is bursting with pride for you girls! What an amazing journey you are taking and together ❤️. That was definitely mom saying, you got this! Love you, Ellen
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