Role reversals

Mission Ridge, April 1972 (my dad and mom, my two brothers, and me.  My brothers in handknit Norwegian sweaters, me in handknit leggings and sweater with snowmen around the bottom border.  Knit by my mom, I think?  My dad still has and sometimes wears that ski sweater and my older brother covets it.  Mom's fuschia, tiny polka dot patterened, long collared, windproof button down ski shirt was sooo groovy.)

Take two on this post, by the way.  It didn't save when I clicked "Publish Now" the first time 'round.  Grrr.  Almost lost it a second time when IE shut down on me.  Grrr again.

One of the things I remember from my childhood skiing days:  getting up in the early, dark morning each and every Saturday morning during the winter.  Riding on the front seat of the car in between my parents, the back seat filled with my brothers and typically another kid or two carpooling along with us for the day, and making the hour long drive to Alpental.  The AM radio right in front of me seemed always to play, while I dozed sleepily, "Do you know where you're going to?  Do you like the things that life is showing you?  Where are you going to?  Do you know?" also titled Theme from Mahogany, sung by Diana Ross.  And no wonder its part of my skiing memories, it was up for a nomination for Best Song, was performed "live via satellite" at the Acadamy Awards, and hit the top of the charts on January 24th, 1976, all smack dab in the middle of the ski season.  Thanks goes out to Google and Wikipedia for confirming this for me, and placing these memories to the year I was 6.

Big Mountain, March 2008 (My parents and our sons.  All wearing handknit Norwegian sweaters underneath their coats, all knit by my mom, except for E's sweater knit by me.)

The boys, understandably, ditched me in favor of riding the chairlift with their grandparents.

There they all are, up ahead.  It would be impossible to explain what a great experience it was skiing with both my parents and our children.  Let's just say the goggles got a little fogged over a couple of times over the two days we all skied together last week.

There are my 76 year old parents, skiing on down the mountain at the end of the day.  They have close to about 145 winters of skiing between the two of them.  Aren't they amazing?  Sure I'm a little biased, but I can honestly claim that my dad is still the BEST skier on the mountain.  Not that that's what it's all about.  I'll never ski quite like him so can only hope I'm still skiing when I'm their age.

As for the "role reversals" part, it's been kind of a funny thing this winter finding ourselves playing the exact roles that my parents did so many years ago:  waking kids up before dawn on Saturday mornings, loading piles of ski gear and clothes into the car, packing along a backpack filled with lunch, cocoa, snacks and water bottles, driving sleepy children for about an hour to the mountain, getting them to their ski lessons on time, eating lunch together in the lodge, taking runs all together, trading out skiing with the kids so that we each get a few runs in to ourselves, helping the boys up if they need it when they fall in too deep powder, marvelling at their improvement over the season, carrying their skis for them when they're too tired at the end of the day.

The roles shifted slightly again this past week, this time driving my parents to the mountain in the wee hours of the morning, packing lunch for them as well, and handing out sandwiches to them in the lodge at noon, trailing along behind in the event my mom fell and needed help getting back up, carrying her skis for her at the end of the day when she was tired.  It's the least I can do. 

Lighthearted apologies were made, too, for the days so long ago when I was a bit of a whiny little s%#t for my mom (around the time of the picture up top, give or take a year or two), wanting only to ski with my dad, while he was off taking his few runs alone.  Fortunately there has been almost no melting down on the part of the boys, except for the tiniest bit when they (or I) don't manage to get enough sleep the night before.

No Diana Ross on the AM radio, though.  Our kids hear reggae on XM or C's mix of reggae from his ipod in the mornings.  Aside from that and high speed quads, snowboards, ski helmets, ever more spendy lift tickets, and people using ipods and cell phones on the mountain, I can't see much else that's really changed in the last 30+ years.  It's still all about the snow, the sunshine, and making some turns.  Sure it's exhausting, even just the getting-us-all-there-and-back-each-weekend-without-forgetting-any-of-our-gear part, but its that good exhaustion, the kind that comes from doing something physically active and good and fun, together, outside in all that crisp, fresh air.

Even on a foggy day without the views or the icier days lately, there's just nothing like being up there where the only thing you have to think about is 1) What run are we going to take next? 2) Where am I going to make my next turn?  and 3) Do you think it's time for a cocoa break yet?  As your skis begin to slide down the mountain into that first turn of the day, the rest of the world just slips away...   

Comments

[Liz Chatwell]

Seriously, beautiful bit of writing here. What an honor to your parents.

[Liz Chatwell]

Seriously, beautiful bit of writing here. What an honor to your parents.

[Ellen]

How lucky you are to live somewhere so beautiful. I remember learning to ski when I was about 8 or 9, but then we moved to Alabama. End of lessons. If we had stayed in Wisconsin, I might be skiing with my parents and kids too. Nice story.

[Susanne]

What wonderful memories you have created, not only ones that you remember but creating memories for your children! Your parents must be very proud indeed. There are not many kids who can say they ski with their grandparents, especially such challenging slopes. Wonderful story, wonderful pictures and wonderful, beautiful memories.

[kate]

This post gave me a nose-tingle and I almost teared up. So sweet! I love these realizations of role-reversal, and I'm just starting to see it now with my own child. Wonderful post.

[Susana]

This is so beautiful; I got so zoned it -- like reading a can-not-put-down autobiography, more pretty please!

[Luise]

So beautiful, from every point of view. You must know how incredibly lucky you all are to be enjoying one another in such a magnificent setting. I trust the two family pictures (and others?) are framed together -- and make an extra copy; your boys will treasure them when they grow up.

[knitteriam]

Great photos and memories! Amazing views! Speaking of Reggae, we heard a great young artist named Trevor Hall. Ever heard him?

[Susan Voegtly]

Thanks so much for a time capsule! I am slightly younger than your folks and didn't take up skiing unitl 1988, even though my hubby skiied since those days.I could relate totally to your fogged glasses. My hubby was diagnosed with MS the year I learned to ski -and yet he is skiing in Reno as we speak. Every trip there is "that moment" when I feel utter euphoria to be where I am, doing what I am with who I am!! In reading your blog for so long, your parents seem amazing and their children-beautiful, and their children's children are magical.
Thank you for sharing

[Michelle]

What a beautiful post.

I love the photo of younger you and your family.(:

[Berlinswhimsy]

Wow, what wonderful memories both past and present! Isn't it wonderful when things come full circle?!

Love all the handknit sweaters, too...

[Brandy]

What a wonderful post! I love reading about the adventures that you and your family. :) I also am very sad that I missed skiing this year, since your pictures look so amazing!

[Heidi]

This brought back memories for me too. My parents are still skiing in their late 60s. Hope they keep it up until my kids (don't have them yet!) are skiing age!

[Jennifer]

What great family traditions! I loved seeing the picture of your parents and your kids skiing together. I bet your boys will also remember their Mom's groovy outfit - even if yours isn't pink & white polka-dot.