Pink Mist and the Art of Letting Go
It’s the last day of the expedition. Several people have flights later today, and because we want to savour our experience right to the end, we wake up before dawn. Each team takes down its tent by the light of their headlamps. At the bottom of the hill, a fire lights up the outdoor kitchen. A little farther away, on the point, the wind carries the mist. The sky begins to brighten. It glows with shades of pink and orange. There’s something magical about sunrises on this point. The sight is majestic. Catherine, Naomi, Élisabeth and Matt take a moment to admire it. In silence. Each lost in their own thoughts. We can already sense that several people are somewhere between the present moment and what awaits them on the other side of this expedition. Breakfast is served: warm bagels and all kinds of toppings. We try to stretch out the time in our own way, but we have to leave. Before leaving, we take our traditional group photo, then form our rabaska teams. This morning, the participants are all together in one canoe. In the other are the staff and volunteers. The challenge is on: we race to the beach. After a paddling session that warms us up, we finally reach the shore at the same time. What an accomplishment, and above all, what a wonderful weekend on the water! We head back to the lodge. The rest is all logistics.
Before lunch, we honour the journey we’ve made by handing out certificates, and above all, we take the time to recognize each person who has been part of this memorable experience.
Lee – Thank you for the deep conversations, the thoughtful questions and the observations that constantly invite us to shift our perspective.
Matt – Thank you for your smile, your steadiness, your presence and your kindness.
Nick – Thank you for bringing people together. Thank you for your curiosity and your big heart.
Pénélope – Thank you for your energy, your intensity, your eagerness to help and your desire to be together.
Élisabeth – Thank you for being a gentle ray of sunshine, for your light and your sincerity.
Catherine – Thank you for your courage to be yourself, your authenticity and your honesty. Thank you for reminding us of the importance of respecting our limits.
To the volunteers and the team, thank you for everything. I could name a thousand qualities in each of you! You are incredible.
To those who took the time to read our stories, thank you for following our adventure!
I’ll leave you with a poem my colleague Éric wrote during the expedition. I thought there wasn’t really a good way to end the final blog post, but I was wrong.
I hope it inspires you.
Until next time!
Geneviève
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“Paddle Strokes” by Éric Dupras
Moving swiftly over the water
Leaving only droplets behind
Barely breaking the surface
The paddle plunges straight in
Softly or firmly
In unison with it’s siblings
It moves effortlessly back
Forward glides the canoe
with its load shared by all
To the gurgling sounds
Of wavelets and water eddies
Slicing through waves and wind
Slowly and swiftly
Onward we go
In silence and thought
To the same beat we paddle
Lightening our load
With every stroke
So the paddle sings
Each’s inner song
Inhaling deeply the perfumes
Of fall and evergreens
They penetrate our core
Settling our spirits
And at one with Nature
Together we repair
Our broken mirror
Although on different journeys
The canoe we share
Magically brings us all
To each’s safe haven
Replenished and ready
Parting ways on each’s path
We will always carry
The energy we shared
It was too short an escape
Farewell my dear friends
I wish you all the best
Whenever in doubt
About your journey’s end
Just remember the melody
Our paddles created
Together in harmony
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