Guest blog by Rhonda Sage
It is coming up to that time of year again, a time the malls fill up with shoppers, and the tour de households begin. It is Christmas in our house; we celebrate our holidays a little differently than most. We get out of the city.
It started after my daughter was born, my second child. We were feeling the stress of the traveling to household-to-household and shopping and the rush of the holiday season. The only way we could afford to get away from it was to go up North to our cottage. A 4-5 hour drive north to where you are guaranteed to have a white Christmas. Or at least New Years. It turned into our yearly tradition.
Why do we enjoy it so much? Because it connects us back together as a family. Where we can unplug (as much as we like) and spend time with each other. Once we get into the cottage, bringing our gear in with our old antique snowmobile, we light our woodstove to warm up the place. The smell of the wood burning releases the stress of our busy lives behind.
Then the fun begins. We don’t really spend a lot of time indoors when we are up there, our kids won’t allow it. Unplugged and having each other to keep us company, we embark on the first important task at hand. The making of the longest and fastest toboggan run in recorded history. Each year we make changes, corrections and additions to the run.It isn’t just the children that are involved, we are all involved. Working together as a team to pack down the run and build up the ramps and banks.And spend literally everyday out there, running up with the toboggan, and going down the run. Sometimes it will be singles, sometimes pairs and sometimes all four of us. We try every combination. And this year, we intend on making a hot chocolate bar, so we can stay out longer.
After the toboggan run is done and ready, we grab the auger and drill a hole into the ice to see if it is safe to make our traditonal ice rink.The yearly hockey game of girls against boys then all of us against Daddy is a ritual that cannot be missed. The only forfeit acceptable is if old man winter is late in showing and hasn’t prepared the ice for us. (Meaning, the ice is not safe to skate on).But we all work at shoveling off the ice, putting the hockey nets together and strapping on our ice skates. And the game is on!
During our games, other cottagers who have come up for the holidays usually frequent us and it is a time of connecting. No one goes by without a greeting, at least an hour of conversation, ending in an invitation to our cottage for some cheer. Which is always taken up. Whether we know them or just met them, it is a warm, sincere greeting and new friends made every year Building community even if it is seasonal.
The holidays are about time, not presents. It is about bonding closer as a family and with friends. I couldn’t think of any better way then playing outside. By getting on a toboggan with your family, wrapping your arms around them and screaming at the top of your lungs as you go down the fastest run ever made in family history. Staying outside, bundled up from the cold winter air, watching your breath condense as it exhales out of your lungs, and seeing your children laugh and work together, without any conflicts, as they push each other down the run, or watch my son help put skates on his little sister and teach her how to skate. It is a connection that builds every year, as we get older.
Lastly, at the end of the day, when our hands and feet are cold from all the fun, we race back to the cottage to be the first to make hot chocolate for everyone with extra marshmallows. And we sit together comparing notes on who had the best run, how high we jumped off the ramp and who scored the most goals, filled with laughter and plans for the next day.
This tradition at the cottage, outdoor play, and hot chocolate, is something we look forward to every year. It has replaced the stressful materialism of the holidays to family time spent in nature, at the cottage. Playing, bonding and connecting. That is how our holidays are spent every year. And I encourage you all to grab your snow pants, hats and mitts and get outside with your loved ones, build a snow family, race down a toboggan hill or take a walk outside.Slow down and enjoy the magic that happens when you unplug, get outside and have fun. Happy Holidays everyone.
Rhonda Sage-Ursulak is a mom of two children and lives in Ontario. She works as an educator at Nature’s Calling
At Nature’s Backpack, we believe that the key ingredient to a healthy body and mind involves immersing yourself in the thrilling and unknown world of nature. Resilience, creativity and empathy are all natural results of a greater understanding of the world in which we live. Knowledge of your surroundings also increases your awareness and confidence in making life choices and gives you a sense of place and peace. It is through the astonishing wonders of nature that family and community connections are fostered.
Nature’s Backpack is proud to facilitate this through their outstanding programs, exciting day camps and always captivating scheduled hikes. We invite you to join us and explore your connections to the incredible world of nature.
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How to connect to the outdoors over the holidays
How to celebrate An Outdoor Christmas by Tanya based in Calgary.
We celebrate Christmas with my family in Florida,Crystal River.
