As I mentioned yesterday, a couple of years ago, my family and I hiked to Lake Twenty-Two. Just a few weeks after that my kids hiked to Heather Lake with their friends.
Lake Twenty-Two and Heather Lake have many similarities. Both Lake Twenty-Two and Heather Lake are in the same general area of the North Cascades Mountains … near Mt. Pilchuck. Both Lake Twenty-Two and Heather Lake require a steep vertical climb to reach the lake.
When my kids and their friends arrived at Heather Lake, it was mid-morning (just as it had been when my family arrived at Lake Twenty-Two) and similarly everything was socked in with fog (just as it had been with Lake Twenty-Two).
As my kids and their friends hiked around the lake, the fog lifted and the sun came out … just as had happened at Lake Twenty-Two.
Just as Lake Twenty-Two and Heather Lake have many similarities, but yet they are completely different, completely unique lakes … so also, in the same way, when it comes to parenting – our children might have many similarities, but yet each child is completely different and completely unique!
Lake Twenty-Two is listed as a 5.4-mile roundtrip hike. Whereas Heather Lake is listed as a 5-mile roundtrip hike. Similar … yet different.
When it comes to parenting … our “hike through life” with one child is not going to look exactly like our “hike through life” with the other child. Our “hike through life” with each of our kids will no doubt be similar … but yet at the same time completely different and completely unique!
Lake Twenty-Two is listed as 1,350 feet of elevation gain; whereas Heather Lake is listed as 1,034 feet of elevation gain. Similar … yet different.
When it comes to parenting … our “hike through life” with one child will be uniquely different in its strenuousness [aka: “elevation gain”]. One child might have a more challenging temperament and personality … while another child might have a more challenging learning situation in school … while another child might have a challenging physical limitation or health concern, etc. etc. …
Our “hike through life” with each child will have similarities … but yet at the same time be completely different and completely unique!
Here you can see the socked-in-with-fog view of Lake Twenty-Two …
… and, the socked-in-with-fog view of Heather Lake …
Similar yet different.
As we hold each child in our arms as a baby, we wonder who they will become. For each of our children, looking out over their life feels “socked in with fog.” What greatness will their life hold??
And then the fog lifts as each child matures and grows.
Here you can see the fog-lifted view of Lake Twenty-Two …
… and, the fog-lifted view of Heather Lake …
Similar yet different.
As we “travel around the lake” (journeying through life with each of our children) we enjoy “views” of their life from all angles around the lake.
Here you can see the far-side-of-the-lake view of Lake Twenty-Two …
… and, the far-side-of-the-lake view of Heather Lake …
Similar yet different.
Parenting is such a joy!
Yes, it’s hard! But the joy of journeying through life with each of our kids makes the effort worth it all!
