Wednesday, August 5
The A.T. & Parenting…
I dropped my son (Michael) off yesterday morning at Fontana Dam in North Carolina. He and two friends, Jonathan Branson and Jordan (don’t know his last name), are spending 5 days hiking the Appalachian Trail.
72 miles, all in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, beginning at Fontana and ending in Waterville, NC, carrying all they need to eat and sleep and ‘do #2’ for five days. Their backpacks weighed 30 to 45 pounds each. (Jordan's really not that tall, he's just standing on a hill)They were so stinking excited to get to do this. Me, not so much.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m thrilled they get to do this, experience the trail, the mountains, cooking from a stove made from a coke can, absolutely. What a wonderful thing to get to do at 19 years old.
They researched everything, they estimated the needed calorie & protein intake for the trip, weighed carefully each and everything they packed, did all they possibly could to make sure they were ready. I even made Michael and Jonathan meet with a friend of mine, Doc Reece, to put them through the wringer to make sure they were prepared. (They passed Doc’s tests, except the one about remembering ‘butt grease’, evidently there’s some chaffing that happens in the midst of these long hikes)
As we drove to the drop off point yesterday morning (a beautiful 1 ½ hour or so drive that includes ‘The Tail of the Dragon’ portion of road) I found myself wanting to slow down. I kept asking them if they needed to stop and get something else to drink before they started hiking, my treat. I had to stop (even more than usual) to go to the bathroom, I took the curves as slow as I could, kept snapping pictures with my cell phone as they prepared to hit the trail, anything I could think of to ‘stretch their leaving out a little longer’.
Now again, don’t get me wrong. They are more than capable of doing this. They will be extremely safe (although they left the Bear Mace in the car), and I completely trust them.But I think this trip has been more than a little metaphorical toward this whole concept of parenting, especially when you get to the age my kids are (19, 17, 13). You’re just trying to stretch it out as long as you can. You’ve loved every part of their growing up, you know you’ve prepared them as best as you possibly can for the next chapters of their lives, you completely trust them and can’t wait to see what God continues to do in their lives, but that doesn’t mean YOU’RE ready.
It doesn’t mean you’re not going to try and find everyway possible to get them to stop for just one more Icee at Weigel’s or take one more backroad that might take just a little bit longer but gives you a better view before they start the trail.
Mark Nelson at 4:12 PM 5comments
5 Comments
-
at 8:27 AM
said... My oldest daughter graduated high school in May, turned 18 in June and starts college the end of this month. No, I AM NOT ready for this. What I dread worse is when she finds the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with and gets married.
I feel your pain a little bit Mark...:)-
at 10:57 PM
said...
The first day they were gone (Tuesday), I never would have thought that I would get nervous every time I heard thunder and saw rain out my window. All I could think about was what it would be like to hike while it's pouring, lightening.. and then I pictured trees falling and bears going crazy and attacking. My imagination gets the best of me sometimes, and my nerves. I enjoy reading your blog by the way, just thought I would let you know. And you spelled Johnathan wrong :) See you Sunday.
-
at 11:07 AM
Mark Nelson said... Kylie...yeah, I've bet I've spelled Johnathan's name every which way but right in the past...
Scott & I saw them thursday at Newfound gap...I'll post pictures in a few minutes...they were doing well and very appreciative for the McDonald's we brought them...-
at 9:58 AM
Unknown said...
Some beautiful country up there. I am sure they will care this 'natural' experience with them for the rest of their lives. I'm jealous as well I have only been able to get away to do day hikes on the AT. Good luck to them!
Brett Pohanka-
at 1:09 AM
said...
I tried to make McKenzie miss the bus this morning. It was her first day of first grade, and the first day in "real" school. Kindergarten was just a part of our preschool, so it didn't hit like this did. I wasn't going to be one of the crying moms... I thought they were pathetic. I'm pathetic. I want it to slow down already - but long to see the mystery of what they will become.