Finding My Balance on a Paddleboard in South Haven
I fell off my paddleboard for the sixth time. Being so close to our takeout point, I decided it was time to swim it back to shore.
My life vest was pulling up around my ears and straining my neck as I aimed for the shore. I saw my sons relaxing on their backs on their paddleboards nearby, so I flipped over to kick on my back.
The transformation was instantaneous. My lifejacket was now cupping me from below and providing perfect support.
I let my head rest back and looked up. The sky was breathtaking. The cotton-white clouds, moving eastward, stood out against the light-grey evening sky. I smiled at the beauty above me and wondered at how I hadn’t even considered looking up at the sky during my first paddleboarding experience; I’d been more concerned with looking down at my feet or out at the horizon to stay steady.
![](https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/Elliott-and-Logan-72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=ae15ff66496d534535ed8d7571c14da1 320w, https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/Elliott-and-Logan-72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=3360754cfecbe6a029d1951437fabacc 336w)
A seagull suddenly flew right over me – so closely I laughed with surprise! It made me think of how long it had been since I’d felt the pure, carefree joy of such a moment. Most recently, I’d been preoccupied with my oldest son, Elliott, starting his freshman year in college.
![](https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/2-Men-Paddleboarding-Tom-DeVette-Web-Banner72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=20.58%2063.26&q=80&w=320&s=6173d92ada6d910a1f52f8054c16061b 320w, https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/2-Men-Paddleboarding-Tom-DeVette-Web-Banner72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=20.58%2063.26&q=80&w=540&s=3f615106649a2286bff7bccd7c5992c1 540w, https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/2-Men-Paddleboarding-Tom-DeVette-Web-Banner72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=20.58%2063.26&q=80&w=768&s=693ba1cfd5291b93fdd992cd68a8beba 768w, https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/2-Men-Paddleboarding-Tom-DeVette-Web-Banner72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=20.58%2063.26&q=80&w=1024&s=2ff06b68bb7330612dde0c8068ad034a 1024w, https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/2-Men-Paddleboarding-Tom-DeVette-Web-Banner72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=20.58%2063.26&q=80&w=1200&s=31c98be437c5c2ed76f5f73d789c5e5b 1200w, https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/2-Men-Paddleboarding-Tom-DeVette-Web-Banner72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=20.58%2063.26&q=80&w=1440&s=cf48a2fa76ab766d37c2b19583dd716f 1440w, https://southhaven.imgix.net/images/blogs/2-Men-Paddleboarding-Tom-DeVette-Web-Banner72.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=20.58%2063.26&q=80&w=1920&s=789c2943e037cc158b826bdc3b063a38 1920w)
I gazed over at the South Haven lighthouse, standing strong on south pier: It reminded me of what things we can always count on. Then, I looked at the rolling waves of Lake Michigan: It made me think of what things will always change. I felt an inner calm, and within that quiet moment, I found peace in the future and what it holds for Elliott and our family.
Still floating and kicking with the shore coming closer, I was connected with myself, as well as with this wonderful place that, oddly enough, balanced me by knocking me down.