Peaks of Otter

One of the great things about living in Lynchburg is that in a hop skip and a jump you can be out of Lynchburg and up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. With that Kahlil Gibran quote from a couple of days ago still in my head....I blew off everything I was supposed to do today and headed up to Peaks of Otter with the kids.

It was a spur of the moment thing. I quickly packed up snacks and just as we were heading out the door I went to the CD cabinet, closed my eyes and vowed to leave with the first CD I picked. It was Annie Lennox’s Diva (1992)...interesting?

I probably hadn’t listened to it in ten years. It turned out to be a fantastic pick for the 45 minute drive. It was as if my 24 year old self picked out the CD in 1992 as a present to my 37 year old self. The first song Why is so intense. Lennox’s voice is powerful and happens to be the perfect pitch for me to sing along with. (There are some singers that... try as I may...I never will be in their key, James Taylor, for one...damn it...he’s impossible to sing along with). The kids loved the bouncy rhthym of the next song, Walking On Broken Glass. Stealing glances of them in the rearview, they were all smiles, jazzed up and happy to be going on an adventure.

Up at the Peaks I gave the kids instructions. They were to do whatever they wanted. Borrowing a phrase from Jennifer Lauck...."It's Your world ,kiddos.."

Seth hesitated at first, then he poked a sneaker toe into the creek and looked up at me questioningly?

"Your world, buddy. I’ve got extra shoes in the car."

He smiled and then jumped right into the squishy mud, instantly clouding up the water. Riley hung back a bit, but soon she was asking to cross the shallow creek with the help of my hand...and a little while later, bravely doing it herself! A big step for her.

Peaks of Otter has a lake and those little troopers hiked around the whole thing. Seth peed in the woods three times, (Riley and I just once). We ate lunch, played in the creek some more and headed home.

Seth nodded off just as Annie Lennox started her second run through. A few minutes later I glanced in the mirror at Riley as the following lines to the song Precious floated by:

Precious little angel
Won’t you spread your light on me
I was locked up in the darkness
Now you’ve come to set me free
I was covered up with sadness
I was drowned in my own tears
I’ve been cynical and twisted
I’ve been bitter all these years
I was lost until you came.
I was lost until you came.


She smiled at me and I sent out a silent prayer of thanks.