Long shadows cast throughout the cove as Porter and I walked hand in hand back towards our kayak. With bursts of energy he’d climbed rocks, balanced on logs and thrown stones, stretching the last bits of his day as far as those shadows. When I looked down at his sandy hands and rosy cheeks, I knew it was time. “You ready to head back to Yahztee, buddy?” “Yeah,” he responded with a gentle sigh.

The faster he goes, the more refreshing it is to just slow the rest of life down and let it happen. There are times to move on the boat and times to slow down, and we do the slowing down part with intention. We’ve learned that a rushed life and sailing schedule is not for us (unless we’re racing, of course).

Over the weekend we sailed to different islands on four consecutive days and averaged just 9.5 miles between them. At one point, both our sails were up and set and we were making a measly 2.5 knots through the water. Other times we were going 6.5. It didn’t matter either way; both boys were asleep and the next anchorage was just ahead. So we kicked back and enjoyed the moment.

The same can be said for our excursions to land. We hike and beachcomb at our own pace; there are eagles to watch, flowers to smell, and any number of things to discover in the woods and on the beaches. And we don’t have a car or bikes, so when we’re in town, walking to the store and other activities only allows for so much to be done in a day, which is fine by us. We’re not too keen on hurrying through life.