Adapting...

THE BODY (AND MIND) IS A RESILIENT PIECE OF WORK THAT IS CAPABLE OF ADAPTING TO A MYRIAD OF CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN WE WERE AWAY ON HOLIDAYS, WE WENT TO BIG FALLS, NEWFOUNDLAND TO WITNESS THE SALMON RUN. OVER TIME, THESE FISH HAVE ADAPTED AND EVEN CHANGED THEIR BODIES TO BECOME LONGER IN ORDER TO SURVIVE THEIR JUMPING UP THESE FALLS TO MAKE IT OUT TO THE OCEAN.

A TRULY AMAZING FEAT TO WITNESS.

ANOTHER TRULY AMAZING FEAT TO WITNESS WAS MY ADAPTATION TO THE COLD THIS WEEK INSIDE THE ARENA (NOT THAT MY BODY CHANGED OR ANYTHING…SOMEHOW LOSING A FEW POUNDS DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ADAPTING TO THE COLD) THE HUMID EX OUTSIDE IS IN THE TROPICAL RANGE OF 35 DEGREES. FASHION THEREFORE DICTATES SHOWING AS MUCH SKIN AS LEGALLY POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, MERE STEPS AWAY THROUGH THE SLIDING GLASS DOORS EXISTS SUBZERO TEMPERATURES FOR THOSE CRAZY PEOPLE CALLED GOALIES (AND EVEN CRAZIER PEOPLE CALLED ‘MOTHERS’ WHO INSIST ON SITTING IN THE COLD PART TO SUPPORT THEIR PROGRESS)

IN PAST YEARS, THE ROUTINE HAS BEEN TWO HOURS IN THIS CLIMATE IN THE MORNING, A WARM UP BREAK FOR AN HOUR LUNCH AND THEN ANOTHER TWO HOURS FREEZING IN THE AFTERNOON. MY BODY ADAPTED TO THIS QUITE WELL WITH A WELL-PLACED BLANKET AND FLEECE PULL-OVER.

THIS YEAR AT GOALIE CAMP HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT FOR ME. JENNY GOES ON THE ICE FROM 9 – 11 AND 1 -3. MICHAEL IS ON THE ICE FROM 11 – 1 AND 3 – 5. COUNT THE HOURS PEOPLE THAT I AM SITTING IN THE ICE-BOX! TUESDAY WAS EXCEPTIONALLY LONG WITH ANOTHER GOALIE CLINIC IN THE MIX (9 A.M. TO 9 P.M.)

VANITY, IS OF COURSE EVERYTHING AND PEOPLE LOOK QUITE FOOLISH COMING OUT OF THE ARENA IN JEANS, SHOES, AND JACKETS AND IMMEDIATELY MELTING TO A PUDDLE BEFORE THEY GET TO THEIR CARS. I, OPT FOR A SLIGHTLY LESSER ‘LOOK’ BY COMING OUT OF THE ARENA QUITE PURPLE BUT STILL RETAINING THE ‘SUMMER LOOK’ OF BEING IN FLIP-FLOPS, SHORTS AND T-SHIRT, CARRYING MY SWEATER AND BLANKET FASHIONABLY OVER MY ARM. OF COURSE, I WON’T WEAR MY NAVY BLUE SHORTS AGAIN, AS THEY BLEND IN TOO WELL WITH MY MAUVE LEGS AT THE END OF THE DAY! I AM LEARNING TO TAN WELL AND WEAR BRIGHT RED TOE NAIL POLISH TO HIDE THIS CRAZINESS OF BEING A YEAR-ROUND HOCKEY MOTHER.

ALL IN ALL, I THINK THAT I HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THIS GOALIE CAMP VERY WELL.

HOW DID MICHAEL AND JENNY DO, YOU ASK? POOR BABIES, IT WAS GRUELING FOR THEM…THEY TOLD ME EVERY NIGHT ALL ABOUT THEIR ACHES AND PAINS AND PAINFULLY SHOWED US THEIR BLISTERS AS THEY LIMPED AROUND THE HOUSE.

FUNNY, NOT ONCE DID THEY ASK ME HOW I WAS COPING WITH THE EARLY MORNING RISING AND DRIVING, AND THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE ARENA. I AM PROUD OF MY BODY AND ITS' RESISTANCE TO SUCCUMB TO FROST BITE. (MY TOES ONLY TINGLE NOW INSTEAD OF GOING NUMB!) I THINK IN A FEW MONTHS I'LL BE READY TO ADAPT TO HEAT, SAND, AND SUN (PREFERABLY IN A TROPICAL SOUTHERN LOCATION BELOW THE EQUATOR...OF COURSE, I'LL BE GOING BY MYSELF BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE WILL BE IN A TOURNAMENT, OR PLAYOFFS, OR...ADAPTING TO MY SUDDEN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL DEPARTURE)

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING AT THE FUNNY SIDE OF THINGS…AND, OF COURSE, ADAPTING.