Torch Lake, MI

I’ve been coming to Michigan since I was a little kid. My father has been coming to Michigan since he was a little kid. And my grandmother has been coming to Michigan since she was a little kid. Obviously this place has a special meaning for us. We come here to recharge, to relax, to escape, to find ourselves, to enjoy ourselves. In our own special way, each of us communes with this area.

Torch Lake is notoriously cold; it often freezes in the winter. And time and time again I have refused to come out of the water until my chattering teeth and frozen blue lips force me to. Undoubtedly it’s all new age nonsense, but simply being in the water recharges me and mine spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

This summer I’ve had roughly three and a half weeks to spend at the lake. Mostly, I sleep, eat, and read. It’s as close to perfect as I would dare venture. The rest of my time I spend cooking, water skiing, tubing, and sailing; hell, I even went golfing. We also visit the grocery store at least once a day, often two or three times.

The sunset, overlooking the water, is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. Note, I include the sunsets overlooking the vast sprawling ocean I witnessed while living on the ship during my time abroad. The water fades from a very light, pale blue into a turquoise, into a deep robust blue as the lake gets deeper. The sunset plays with these blues in ways I cannot adequately describe. Who knew of the thousand shades of purple, pink, green and the way they shimmer on the water translucent even transparent.

On Friday, I leave for my newest great adventure. In the morning I shall jump into the still freezing water, waking instantly invigorated. I’ll suck in deep, spasmodic breaths and have a final communion with the lake. It is a spiritual experience, and I, my family, relish it.