By Pattie Mihalik

The very first time I sat in a kayak, with the very first glide into the water, I fell in love.

It was inexplicable the way I instantly felt so passionately enthusiastic about kayaking, especially with what happened that day.

We were vacationing at the Outer Banks of North Carolina when Hurricane Dennis came in and refused to leave. For eight days winds howled and rain pelted the area, making it impossible to be outside.

I still have my T-shirt that says I survived Hurricane Dennis.

When the wind and rain finally stopped I was more than anxious for an outdoor adventure. While we were stuck inside I had read a vacationer’s guide that mentioned kayaking in the sound. When I called I was told they would reopen the next day.

I persuaded my two daughters and Andrea’s sister-in-law, Carrie, to come along. None of us had ever been in a kayak but the article said instruction would be provided.

When we got there we were told to put on a life vest, carry a kayak to the water and stay as still as possible while we paddled. That was all the instruction we received.

Little did we know that the “instructor” was a home economics teacher with no experience, and the rough water wasn’t safe for novice paddlers.

I was the first one to paddle into the sound. When I turned around to see how far away the others were, I fell in the water.

I had more guts than brains back then and didn’t panic when the instructor said she didn’t know how to get me back in the boat. “Just hang onto your kayak and eventually I’ll pull it back to shore,” she said.

It felt like I was in the water forever. Fortunately I didn’t know sharks had gathered in the sound for a feeding frenzy.

That experience made me determined to take lessons and learn to kayak the right way.

Ever since then, kayaking has been an important part of my life. In fact, kayaking was instrumental in my moving to Florida.

I can pinpoint the exact moment when I decided to transplant from Pennsylvania to this Land of Perpetual Sunshine. While visiting my friends Franck and Jan, he took me kayaking in Sarasota Bay. There I was kayaking in short sleeves, sitting in glorious sunshine in January.

Year-round water adventures appealed to the nature girl in me.

When I met and married the president of our local kayak club in Florida, we spent 12 happy years kayaking in every body of water we could find.

When David could no longer kayak because of a serious knee problem, I was heartbroken when our water adventures ended.

This week, he made a loving offer. He would transport my kayak to the bay and wait there while I kayaked.

Love is doing something strictly as an act of love. Kayaking is my passion, but it is no longer his. I recognize how loving he is to find a way for me to enjoy another kayaking day.

I was so excited about going kayaking today that I got up early, only to hear heavy thunder. While bad weather will postpone my kayaking pleasure, I told myself to key into other pleasures of the day.

I believe attitude is important to our happiness. I could be downhearted by yet another thing I cannot do. Believe me, in this pandemic, there have been plenty of disappoints fueled by what is no longer possible.

Or, I can thank God for the gift of another day and open myself to see all the delights the day has to offer.

As I went out for my early morning walk amid thunder and rumbling, I was surprised to see it was an extraordinary day in nature.

To my right was a glorious sunrise that turned the lake into a red-gold spectacle. To my left was black skies to go along with the thunder.

The big surprise as I walked was the beautiful rainbow in front of me. Not even streaks of lighting or the oncoming rain ended my delightful walk. I stayed outside as long as I could until rain got heavier and lightening convinced me it was time to go inside.

I was happy at how all that nature combined to offer me a delightful day.

Truth be told, every day can be delightful, even those that don’t go the way we might have anticipated.

Once again, it’s all about attitude.

Every day in this awful pandemic calls for determination to squeeze out every delight, every possible joy.

It means looking at the day with fresh eyes and an open mind for all it can offer.

No matter where you live, you can enjoy delightful days, even surprising ones.

Truth be told, every day we have, the gift of life can offer its own delights.

I met an old man on a boat trip who couldn’t walk without assistance. He said he has serious health issues, but when he got up this morning he knew he would have a good day.

“Was that because of this boat trip?” I asked.

“No.” he answered. “It because when I opened my eyes this morning I knew I had the gift of a new day.”

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.