Russian River, California - The Flow of Fatherhood


Mendocino was the perfect location for the Wilde family to enjoy Father's Day. The Russian River has a gentle flow as it meanders through Mendocino county. It's fun to sit on the banks enjoying the sunshine while fishing, relaxing or playing in the water (with kiddos, of course).

I'm looking out the window of our RV with my feet up thinking about that beautiful river. I can hear the kids getting along as they plot to invite me for a dip. Personal projects are being tackled and the family is floating easy this Sunday. No harsh rapids so far.

In the past, Father's Days have been more stressful. The pressure to be a super-dad is tiresome. The expectation for the kids to be super-duper is exhauting. I can remember rushing to church, then out to breakfast or lunch and finishing the day with a tense outing. That pace and pressure usually explodes into arguments and fights. Time would start to drag under the effort to make the day special and morph it into a burden. Doesn't sound so special, does it?

Our primal approach to Father's Day made a big difference. We got up in a good mood because we didn't have a "society-approved" checklist to ram the family through. The kids didn't feel like they had to dote on me; they showed appreciation in simple ways by choice. A paleo breakfast, time to write and some quiet to do it in. Perfection. No gawdy ties, guilt trips or goofy traditions. We all enjoyed Father's Day on our terms.

Father's Day is a modern tradition I can stand behind. It's great to spend a day focusing our appreciation on our fathers. By not making the day full of stressful events, we enjoy the day together and following our passions. That approach allows the kids to express love on their terms.

We all experience turbulent times in life. Conforming to the pressures of a modern tradition can turn a special day into a burden. Peace and beauty are found in the wild and natural flow of life. The effortless flow of the Russian River is a good example of that.

Stay Wilde!
 
-Erick Wilde 

Linsey captured some great images while we made our way down to the river. If you are curious to see more follow This Wilde Life on Instagram. Click here to redirect.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acton, California - Summer Mud Magic

Image
Matt smears the mud on his body grinning ear to ear. As he bends over the huge metal bowl filled with gooey brown mud he grabs the spoon to give it a stir. Just a few more swirls for the perfect consistency. There is an art to the perfect mud cake and he has it down. A commuter train rumbles in the distance blowing it's horn as it nears the RV park. Jonathan, Matt's older brother, looks on and wonders if the train is tooting its approval; probably not. Matt hears the train so often that he no longer responds. He is too engrossed in muddy endeavors to notice anyhow. "Put it on your face! I dare you, Matt." Jonathan knows how to get his brother to do almost anything - especially for laugh. Sinking his hands into the dark chocolate mud Matt flashes a mischevious grin. Mom is going to be pissed, the anticipation he feels is electric. He pulls up a handful of mud the size of a horse turd and starts to dab his cheeks. "Oh man! You did it! I can't believe ...
Read more

Santa Rosa, California - Primal Dating

Image
Dating my wife took a significant turn after siring four children. We don't feel as romantic when we go out. When we get a dating opportunity, our destination is the grocery store. Grocery shopping isn't something you get dressed-up for anyhow and acting romantic in the market is beyond creepy. I can't describe the relief we feel when we break free in the market. We act like kids on Christmas. We dream about meandering through the produce, giggling to ourselves. Sometimes we stop and read through nutrition information all the way to the vitamin and mineral section. We even let other adults cut in front of the sample line just to drag out our date a few more minutes. Put simply, we are easy to please. The modern spouse-dating standard is set too high for us. If we scroll through social media and try to keep up with our peers, we would need knock over a bank before going out. Wine tasting, jet skiing, antique scavenging and annual trips to VEGAS!! Not our idea of...
Read more

Preston, California - Travel Life Trade-offs (Pt. 1)

Image
People make comments about the road-life we lead. Most say we are blessed, lucky, fortunate or favored (some think we are dangerously irresponsible). The comments come with a hint of wishful yearning from people envisioning their lives in full-time travel mode. There is a romantic jealousy epidemic these days and a few things need to be set straight. Be prepared to bear with me; this might take a few posts. To begin, road-life is easily confused with vacation life. We hear about families taking the leap into their RV only to spend their savings, complicate close relationships and end their trip in bitter regret. Our first attempt at the nomadic life ended the same way with the tragic results. The Wildes naively set out on full-time vacation three years ago. Here is what we learned. Vacation is a healthy drug. Most people use vacation as an annual therapy. But too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing. All of us acted like addicts when we went on full-time vacati...
Read more