Closing a Chapter of Life

This past weekend I closed a very important chapter of my life.  I said goodbye to a place at Gardner Lake in Montville, CT where I spent my summers growing up, and continued to visit over a span of 30 years.  My family, friends, and I spent our summer weekends swimming, boating, and sitting around a campfire. 

The place holds my memories of joy, laughter, and a few hardships.  I made lots of friends there, some who I keep in touch with today, and others who I hope to connect with in the future.   

One of my favorite memories is the day we piled about eight (maybe ten?) of us kids onto a Sunfish sailboat.  If you’re not familiar with that kind of sailboat, it’s like a big surfboard with a small sail.  You sit on the deck and put your feet in a hole in the center.  It’s only 14 feet long and holds a maximum of three people. 

The boat was barely afloat and a few kids were in the water, hanging off the side [don’t try this at home].  Our parents were on the shore, standing with their hands on their hips, watching us.

It was just one of those beautiful, sparkling, sunlit days when I laughed so hard it hurt. I thought of that day on Saturday, when I took one last swim and collected a few rocks for posterity.  I hope the happiness I felt will remain for the many kids who will spend their summers growing up there as I did, loving that special place.