River Mama

Community Care, Self Care, and A Happy Mother’s Day To All!

Last weekend I went with my husband to the Lochsa River to take our new orange raft out for a spin. The last time we were on this river we flipped our little blue boat, just the 2 of us, and went for a long swim. Afterward I was so tired, beat down tired, and wondered, “What’s wrong with me?” Later that week I took a pregnancy test and found out there was a tiny mysterious person growing inside me, who had joined us for that epic cold water adventure.

This time we left the babies with my parents and camped out for one night before getting on the river. There’s something so beautiful, magical, and rare about this type of river community that comes together for these festivals focused on playing on the water. Just for the joy of it. Just for the full body aliveness of being splashed in the face by freezing cold water. Like renewal, like baptism. To be part of something so much bigger than oneself, so much more powerful. The waves on the Lochsa are enormous, even at low water.