There’s something about Lake Michigan in mid-July.
Every summer for the past 23 years, I have had the privilege of enjoying one of God’s great creations with family and friends, and like a kid anticipating a visit from Santa, I’m anxiously awaiting visit 24 this month.
Flashback…
I remember Mom and Dad’s brown Ford LTD climbing the dirt road into the cottage area. As we got to the top of the hill we could see the lake ahead, as if we were going to drop right into it.
As my sisters and I would argue over who got which bedroom at the cottage, we could hear the waves crash against the shore and smell the musty scent of the cottage when we opened the door.
After a wonderful dinner cooked by my grandma, we would race to the sand dune nearby and jump on the rope swing that overlooked the lake, pretending to fly out over the crystal waters.
Our days were filled with sunbathing, swimming, cherry-spitting contests, blueberry picking, horseback riding, hikes through the woods and naps on the hammock with Grandma and Grandpa.
At night, we would watch the sunset and either play cards, sit by the bonfire or perform charrades, laughing until our bellies ached. Sometimes we’d go into the town of Silver Lake and ride on go-karts at Craig’s Cruisers or get ice cream at the Whippy Dip.
Just before we’d hit the sack, another cottage owner would play Taps on his trumpet while standing at his hill cottage. There were sleepless nights, however, after my sisters and I were informed of the ‘Snipes? that creeped in the woods nearby (Thanks Dad, Uncle Rodney and Uncle Chris’we’re scarred for life now).
And then the next morning, we’d wake up and do it all over again.
Flash foward…
I see kids on vacation, not soaking up their surroundings or enjoying themselves. I see them with their thumbs glued to their portable GameBoy’s, completely wasting what little time they have left as a child to a beeping toy.
When I was on my honeymoon in Mexico, a boy was doing just that as he sat at the dinner table with his parents.
A Mariaci band played by their table and he never once looked up from his video game, nor did the parents encourage him to pay attention to the cultural experience.
Even though I’m 24 now, I know when I get to the cottage this summer I will have those same butterflies of excitement for the vacation that keeps me so closely tied to my childhood.
You better believe I plan on having cherry-spitting contests with my husband, taking a hike through the woods and even climbing that hill to enjoy the rope swing. I may even get some of my friends lost on a hike in the woods.
And you better believe when I have kids someday, I’ll definitely make sure they get to experience Lake Michigan the same way I did.