Golden hour on the lake

One day, when I was about 16, I was have just a really rough day, with big emotions. In a rare moment of compassion, my mom said, "I think you may be depressed. Why not stay home from school today, and take the dog out for a walk on the lake?"

I took our golden retriever out to the middle of lake Harriet, and it was magical. It was a cold winter with little precipitation, and I could see weeds, trash, and turtles through the ice. My dog ran free, joyfully circling back to me. The middle of the lake is one of the few places where you can be surrounded by nothing but space for nearly a mile in in all directions.

It's one of my favorite memories.

The ability to go out on the middle of the lake, whenever I want, was a big motivation for purchasing a condo next to the city lakes in my 20's, and this home, in the same area, when we could finally afford a home big enough for our family.

And now I've always got a place to go when I need a quick fix for my mental health. Today, again wrestling with some big emotions, I made a point to get out before the sun went down, and I got to share the joy with my girl and our pup.