One of the most inspiring and entertaining aspects of my marriage to Arron (Wild Alaskan Company Founder + CEO) is the vault of remembrances from his upbringing in rural Alaska. A trove of moments as distinctive as they are wild, slivers of a silver-hued reality forever engulfed in snow, sky and star. Anecdotes that paint pictures for me of his youth, of true kinship to earth and sea.
I especially love the tale of how during this time of the year, Arron and his sister would eagerly wait for the lake near their home to freeze, a metamorphic climax when water seizes up into mass, yielding a vastness of ice on which their skates would carve the dance of speed through winter’s time. Upon this white patch of earthen frost, the siblings would revel in the absoluteness of a perfect silence, moments void of all sound — except for that of skate blade on ice — yet indeed rife with lived experience.
But the lake of ice was more than just a natural rink for skating. It was a testament and a testimony — to finding joy in the dark of winter, even with limited hours of sunlight. To living it up fully despite the circumstances, even if it meant having to bundle up in every single layer they owned. To transforming a challenging season into a haven of memories. To sharing experiences that the two of them would never forget — held by their love for one another, rooted by the glory of their home state, Alaska, and anchored to the cycles within which this wild place radiates said glory.
As we glide into our own winter experiences amid the hustle and bustle of holidays, I invite us to take our cues from those two young Kallenbergs, and allow ourselves to glide fiercely across the expanse of possibilities.
Live Wild!
Monica
Pictured Above: Icy formations above a glassy expanse of water, in the quiet glow of a perfect moment of winter stillness.
