Greetings for the new year! I wish you all the best of health, prosperity and positive change in your life in 2018! I am excited to let you know that my newest book, Change: Our Ever-Present Companion is now complete and ready for purchase. It is a collection of essays from many of my paddling adventures over the last few years, which have been a time of tremendous change, transition and personal growth. It is part of my healing process to put this book together. Writing is that type of instrument for me. The book reflects the universal message of our lives – always changing, ever-evolving and making corrections and adjustments along the way.
As many of you know through reading my essays, my ever-loyal yellow lab Bayfield has been with me on so many of my paddling odysseys. At the beautiful age of 14-1/2, she crossed over her own waters on the Rainbow Bridge to her new life and new adventures on November 10, 2017. She had a great life and a beautiful ending. Her passing has left an incredible hole in my heart and in my life. Her story is the closing essay of the book – so poignant for Change: Our Ever-Present Companion.
In our work through the Red Kayak Institute (RKI), we take people facing challenges on the water to help them receive the healing benefits of kayaking for half day and full day retreats. It has been interesting for me to see how much my writing and my RKI work have melded together to form an incredible story. I am enjoying pursuing these passions in my life and am humbled every time we take a group on the water.
If you enjoy the book, I would ask that you pass its message along. You can order copies of it, and my previous two books, Reflections from the Red Kayak and A Season on the Water, on Amazon. If you choose Amazon Smile, (the charitable arm of Amazon) you can select the Red Kayak Institute as your charity for this purchase and we will receive a portion of the proceeds. You can also write a review of the book on Amazon.
We are shifting our retreats to the northwoods of Wisconsin in 2018, with two already in the planning stages for summer. It is an exciting change for us, establishing new collaborations and continuing to touch lives in a significant way.
Life is truly all about change, and how we maneuver these twists and turns will determine how well we are able to continue to move forward. My wish for you, in 2018, is that you can peacefully navigate the waters of change and allow the process to gracefully shape and mold you. We are continually becoming more each day than we were the day before. I wish you blessings on your journey. So grateful for you in my life!
Keep paddlin’ on!
Mary Anne
