Getting Across the Lake

Back in the 1960’s, my grandparents would vacation every summer in the little town of Three Lakes.  They stayed at the same resort each time.  Pine Isle on Medicine Lake, faced east.  At sunset one evening, my grandmother noticed a row of cabins on the other side of the lake, whose windows glowed with beautiful shades gold, yellow and orange.  They were reflecting the sun as it set, a sunset that they could not see – as it was setting behind them.

Night after night, she watched the glowing windows, wishing that they had the view of the spectacular sunsets, not just the reflection.  One day they took a drive, found the resort located on the same lake, facing west, and booked their stay for the next summer.  It was called “Sunset Shores.”

This is the resort that I grew up visiting every summer.  I have so many amazing memories of our time there.  But sunsets were always the best – at the end of every day, we would all gather on the pier and watch the sun descend into the water in beautiful shades of gold, yellow and orange.  The lake was calm and still, and all was right in our world.

Of all the stories that my family shares about our time “up north”, this one is my favorite. When I think about the future, I may not get the full picture of how things are going to be, almost like the reflection of light that my grandma would see.  I may not quite know exactly where I’m headed, maybe I need a map or maybe I need to stop and ask for directions.  But I often remember the “golden windows” and those amazing sunsets.   It takes a huge amount of determination and courage to take the first step, and venture out into the unknown to see what’s in store for me on the other side of the lake.