There was no greater gift from my parents than developing a spirit of adventure and it is this gift that I desire most to instil in my kids. My greatest pleasure in return is being able to rediscover the sheer unadulterated joy (and yes sometimes terror) of discovering and having fun outdoors vicariously, through the eyes and mind of a child awakening.
The reality is adventure is everywhere. It doesn't need a fancy 4x4, or an expensive pair of trainers, it just needs a willingness to get out and poke around - often times rediscovering that which we take for granted.
Isla, our eldest, turned seven in December. She has slept out under the stars, hiked for days in the wilderness, snorkelled in the sea, sailed around Cape Point, cooked over an open fire, watched fire flies in the desert, been charged by elephants, baked bread on a fire, slept to the roar of lions, saved Western Cape Leopard Toads, ridden in a helicopter, driven a 4x4, caught a big fish, picnicked in the snow and rafted down a river. And that's the short story. Her seven years of life have been rich and our richer.
Yes, of course there are times when it's a call we make to go on an adventure and the whole family tows the line - those times are inevitable. And of course we have got it wrong from time to time (a mountain too big, the weather too crap!), but even those times are locked in and turned into one of those "Remember that time daddy..." moments. It's a slowly slowly catch the monkey story... keep it interesting, keep it achievable, make it challenging and most of all make it fun.
Comments