Skating On Thick Ice

I got a chance to go ice skating this afternoon at our local rink. There was a half day of school and so the rink figured they would schedule an open general skating session from 1:00 to 3:00.

I guess most kids and most parents hadn't heard about it. It was nearly empty, which made it a treat.

The rink is a hockey regulation sized rink -- really large and is kept in excellent shape. The Zamboni probably uses far more gas and does more weekly mileage than my car.

My son was skating with me and at 10 years old, having been in this same town for more than five years now from Kindergarden to Fifth Grade, has a pile of friends and even with the rink fairly empty, found some good buddies to skate with.

The flow of skating, as your weight shifts lightly from foot to foot and you go whizzing by, feels a bit like flying. It's meditative and inspiring. It's a wonderful thing to know how to do. I'm thankful my mom made me learn it as a kid.

I really just felt so good today skating, like I was an angel flying along. So grateful my spine and coccyx are healed and I have the courage to be back at it. The summer rollerblading has yielded to icy ice skating but the flow and freedom are the same. I feel so lucky to watch my son growing up, growing strong, having fun.

The chshsh, chshsh, chshsh of my blades rhytmically hitting the ice and the combination of the physical work of the sport warming me up, with the fun of it made it a lovely afternoon.

The circles in the ice, the laps around the rink brought another moment of realization that we are only alive right now. As I skated I thought if I had to die tomorrow, I'm really so lucky and have so much in this life, I'd go knowing that fullness is enough, that I am blessed.