The Restorative Powers of Michigan and the Lake

Lake Michigan as seen from Petoskey

I had the chance this week to be in a place that gives me both joy and solace.  Northern Michigan is there for me and has always been a place where I feel safe, loved, and restored.

There is something about Northern Michigan that sparks joy in almost everyone I know.  Perhaps it is the endless views of Lake Michigan spread out for miles and miles.  Lake Michigan is more of an ocean because you cannot see land when you look out.

Perhaps it is the lake that gives me security.  Growing up, I lived outside of Chicago near the lake.  When I needed to think, I would find my way to the water and just stand and lookout at the vast expanse of blue.  Blue like an ocean, but not an ocean.  A deeper blue that spoke to me whenever I needed it.

Penobscot Bay in Maine

I have lived on the Atlantic Ocean in Rhode Island and I have lived near the Potomac River in Virginia.  While the water in both of these places gives me a sense of calm, neither has ever been as restorative as lake Michigan.

The lake can be mercurial; smooth and unmoving like a large blue cloth, angry and frothing like a toddler during a full body melt-down, or moving, ever so slightly with sunlight picking up a shimmer like the scales of an iridescent fish.

A trophy Pike

The lake can be giving, such as a fisherman hauling up a big fish.  Yet it can take things away too, such as the shoreline and docks after a severe winter.

Frozen ice on lake Michigan from Shutterstock

I don’t really believe in horoscopes, but I do believe that the sign you are born under can play a part in your life.  I was born to a water sign and it does not surprise me that water soothes me in a way that nothing else can. Especially the restorative powers of Lake Michigan.

View of the lake from Petoskey, Michigan

Every summer I try to return to Northern Michigan for several months.  It is the only part of my life that has never changed.  Living in several different states and regions of the country, Michigan in the summer is mandatory.  Mandatory, because after ten months of living and being elsewhere I need to get back to recharge and feel safe.

Summer on lake Michigan

For years, as a young adult, my time in Michigan was brief but satisfying.  Now, in mid-life, I have the ability to stay and work there for several months.

Michigan friends both new and old

The friendships I make in Michigan are lasting ones.  Several friends I’ve known since infancy, and others were made more recently.  People who come to this area understand that it is special.  We like to introduce people to it but then secretly are glad when the guests return home because it allows us all to return to beloved routines and summer friends.

Personally, there is nothing more delightful than having friends visit.  They come and discover the beauty of the lake and the pristine forests that surround us.  They marvel at the cold waters in July and the cool crisp nights in August.

Views from Bay View, Michigan

We eat Polish food and dine on endless plates of excellent fried chicken .  We eat pizza at a place with a giant moose staring down at us, and eat ice cream at a place called Yummies.  And as we drive from place to place, Lake Michigan and the surrounding inland waterways are there to remind them of where they are.  Michigan, a Great Lakes state.

Running stream overlooking the lake in Petoskey, Michigan

One summer, about a decade ago, my mother-in-law Sandy came to visit the girls and me in Michigan.  It was a long overdue visit for her.  The flight was arduous and she was at the start of a serious health issue that eventually took her life.

For years she asked me to come to Massachusetts for the summer.  “I want to see my grand daughters.” She would say.  “We have the ocean to play in.”

Every invitation I demurred, saying I needed to be with my Dad.  While this was partly true, I am an only child and he was getting older, I really just needed my Michigan fix.

That summer she came was both beautiful and typical for us.  Warm breezy days and cool nights.  Hours spent on the porch together in conversation or driving through small towns or on country roads.  Time at the beach with her grand-daughters.  We did not do anything special while she was there because she had limited mobility.  Just getting her down to the beach was a logistical challenge.

Sandy and Fernanda

The time she spent with us was magical.  We all felt the calm, easy, feelings that dwell within our house and surroundings.  On her final night with us, she and I sat alone in our tiny kitchen.

“Fernanda, I always thought you didn’t want to spend time with me, and that is why you never came to see me in the summer.  I was always hurt about that.  But now, I understand.  This place is wonderful and I am glad you shared it with me.”  These words are almost verbatim what she said that night.

I was saddened to think I had hurt her feelings.  Sandy was a mother to me and I would never have intentionally hurt her.  But she came to visit and fully understood the magic of Michigan and the lake.

Sadly, she never returned because her health declined.  But each summer thereafter, when I headed to Michigan with the girls, she would tell me how glad she was that we were going there.

Hydrangeas along the shores of lake Michigan

We all need something that grounds us and gives us comfort in our lives.  That comfort may come from a place, like Michigan and the lake are for me, or it may be a piece of music, a painting or an even a poem.

Take a few moments when you finish this blog and think about where, or what, or maybe who gives you comfort.  What about it makes you smile or gives you a sense of calm?

And if you cannot think of something that can fill this need, I encourage you to look for it.  During times of stress and sadness it is important to have a safe way to comfort yourself.

Thanks for reading and have a great week.