Torn Between Two Worlds

There is a book called, “A Life in Two Worlds,” actually when I googled it there are two but the one I’m referring to is about Betty Powell-Skoog. She tells of her life in two worlds, the first part of her life growing up in the woods north of Saganaga and the second part of her life when she moved to town. At the time I read it I wasn’t particularly interested in reading about it but I might have to take another look.

As some of you know I too have a life in two worlds. Our daughter Abby is going to be a Senior this year and our son Josh a Junior and they are highly involved in athletics. They have been for some time and this means a ton of travel year around.  In 2007 we purchased a place with a walk-out basement to use as a crash pad in town and had renters upstairs. This allowed the kids to be able to participate in school activities.

Most of you know we have partnership in Voyageur Brewing Company in Grand Marais. Since opening the brewery in 2015 we’ve spent the majority of our time in town. The past few summers we’ve been blessed to have a highly capable crew and managers at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  They have done such a great job operating the canoe outfitting business I don’t need to be up there. While that has been wonderful it has also put me in a strange position.

One time while vacationing we returned to our hotel and one of the kids said, “Phew, we’re home!” Since then I have always said, “Home is wherever we are all together.” I love spending time with my family and my kids but every mother knows the older your kids get the less they need Mom. So while it has been wonderful to have an awesome crew at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters it has also been a struggle. It has placed me in the position of having a choice! A choice as to whether I should be where my heart is at the end of the Gunflint Trail or where my life is right now, in Grand Marais.

Every day I am torn between two worlds.