What do you do?

Work. Noun. A task or tasks to be undertaken; something a person or thing has to do.

There are quite a few contexts for the word ‘work.’

I have to go to work.

That looks like a lot of WORK!

You are working SO hard!

In these, and many other instances, ‘work’ is a bad word. It’s a thing we must… are compelled… to do because we might suffer if we didn’t!

As a stay-at-home mom (of teens!… that makes it even more egregious, it seems), I am often presented with a different question regarding work:

What do you DO?

This one means, “What WORK do you do? The kind that pays money… The kind that is recognized by society… The kind that identifies “who” or “what” you are.”

Today, as I ponder my work, I realize that these contexts are not so different from one another. Because, one says that work is toilsome, difficult, unpalatable… a thing to endure; while the other assumes that work must look a certain way (or result in certain benefits) to be legitimate. I was reminded today, that neither are true. Solomon recognized that although this world is a broken place, we are placed strategically and significantly, to do work that is GOOD.

This is HUGE news!! Whatever work our hands find to do, we can choose to do it with excellence, humility, and JOY… regardless of the outcome. That means that regardless of the pay (or lack of pay), the glory (or lack of glory), the level of difficulty, or the external (worldly) value placed on your task, it is meaningful if you do it well, with love, and with gratitude for the chance to do it at all.

Enjoy whatever it is that your hands find to do today! You are giving the world something uniquely yours as you complete your tasks. What a gift!!

One-Day Vacay: Kicking Horse Mountain Summer Adventure

Panoramic view of Golden, BC

It was a Sunday Funday for the Irvine’s this weekend… because we decided that we most definitely needed a one-day vacation (One-Day VACAY!). When the Irvine’s need a one-day vacay, they almost always choose mountains!

So, off we went… approximately 4 hours from our humble abode is beautiful Kicking Horse Mountain Resort… yup, a ski hill! BUT, when void of snow, ski hills make terrific hiking destinations, especially when all of the uphill work is done by a chairlift or gondola!!

We started our day by meeting “Boo” the Grizzly Bear.

“Boo” the Grizzly Bear posing with a snack!

Boo is a delightful ambassador for others of his species and posed obligingly for us (the snacks he was munching helped with the posing… and the impending winter… he’s a little more lazy this time of year, we were told!). It was an easy chairlift ride to Boo’s happy habitat, and we were met by an amazing tour guide who gave an informative talk about Grizzly Bears in general, and many entertaining stories about Boo in particular. This was definitely a highlight of the day for me!!

After about an hour with Boo, we took the chairlift back DOWN the mountain (yes, up and down service!), had ourselves a delicious hot chocolate and then hopped on the gondola for a ride to the tippy top of the mountain.

“It’s opener there in the wide open air… ” C’mon Seuss fans… are you with me??

At the top of the mountain, there are several hikes of varying difficulty to suit almost every fancy… and even some rock climbing adventures to be had for those so inclined! We didn’t have time for that on this adventure… But, we did manage to hike most of the shorter route hikes, and the mountain goats among us (my children included) managed to get to the top of at least two peaks! I, on the other hand, would happily scale peaks if only I did not have to come down from them (truly… up is fine for me… down feels like impending doom… but probably that’s another post ;)). It was a very fine day of hiking with amazing views!

Fall in the mountains is my FAVOURITE!!!

And after all that… Kicking Horse Mountain Resort did not disappoint in the food department… any good ski hill MUST have a good pub, and Winston Bar and Bistro was it on this fine occasion. We all left satisfied and happy… all vacationed up for another week of ALL. THE. THINGS… September my friends. September!

Not even out of Golden yet… they looked like this the WHOLE way home!!!

Love. People.

When life jars you with unexpected pain, that jarring is often enough to shatter the facade of what you think you know. This rearranging of reality can become a blessing that results from walking (or being carried) through a deep, dark valley.

The valley of the shadow of death is a place that we cannot prepare for fully. It is never the right time to navigate a path of suffering with a dear loved one, or to be able to say good bye, even when good bye seems like the best way to love well. This is the valley we have been walking and continue to walk in recent weeks.

It has been almost two weeks since we said good bye to a woman who was a warrior, scholar, teacher, friend, nana… mom.

There seems to be a way that “the world” portrays appropriate feelings in moments like these. I don’t think my feelings match any of them though. I feel resigned – she was ready to go home, and her suffering is over. I have moments of joy thinking of her in heaven and with Jesus, surrounded by love and light… and then moments of pain because the world was better when she was in it.

But, I am left with the most precious gifts of all… my memories. I have been especially conscious of my memories of the last few days we were together here on earth, watching a gracious and humble woman say good bye to her family and friends. What a gift! That experience changed me. It jarred me enough to shatter what I thought I knew and to soak up a truth that I have long “known” but never fully understood.

Life is flimsy. It is a here and then gone. A fleeting shadow.

The truth is, in those final moments, NO THING matters any longer. All that is left are the relationships that have been cultivated and the people that have been loved along the way. The only ‘things’ of value that remain when a lifetime of living is done, are the Lord – waiting to welcome us home, and the people – who we have loved along the way.

So, here’s what I now KNOW... loving each other well is really all we can do. I want to leave a legacy of love. Intentional, outrageous, over-the-top love… so that one day, when it is my turn to go home, I will see the shining face of a woman I have missed so dearly… and I will tell her,

“I heard you. I learned from you. I tried my best to do what you did. I loved them. All of them.”

Words Escape Me.

I can’t explain my absence. I just needed to get away for a little while. Two years might seem excessive, I know… but in introvert years, it was basically only a few minutes. I missed this space though. This space is to me like a warm blanket on a wet, cold day… it gives me comfort to write.

I feel like I should start over by telling a story…

Once there was a woman who adored words, quietness, and deep thoughts. She was a wife, mom, friend, and daughter… and she loved being all those things very much. She told her stories about the simple life she led with passion and joy – not because she had to, only because she loved to. But, in the twisting and turning of fate and time, these stories began to lack lustre in her sight and she allowed fear, pride, and a desire to please people to steal what was once a great joy. The words stopped flowing and time went by. A new job, another university degree, 3 moves, and life lessons by the bushel… and still the words escaped her. So, she prayed. She prayed that she would be given the courage to start again, that she would be given words, knowing that even if she was the only person to ever read them, that it would be enough. She prayed that she would be given the space, the stillness, and the will to try again.

And she was given these things.

So here I am. Trying again. I want to remember the little details of my simple life… I’m not great at documenting time and places with photos and videos (I’m learning!)… but I love words. I love to remember how moments feel by the words they invoke.

It’s good to be here – wrapped in my warm blanket, feeling warmth swirl around me, and if you’re reading this… you might ask yourself, “Is there something I have given up that I need to get back? Did I give it up for the wrong reasons? Did I let fear take away my joy?” And, maybe, just maybe, when you ask yourself those questions, you will find that comfort is only a prayer away.