Watch Lost, Kindness Found

A message from Erin...

Last week my family and I enjoyed our annual family trip to the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. If you've ever heard me teach my Coins run, you know when it comes to places, my husband's family cabin on a secluded mountain is a special place for us. The scenery, the quiet, and the unplugged moments the space provides are simply good for the soul. 

A rite of passage in this area is an incredible landmark in the Pisgah National Forest - the always-invigorating Sliding Rock. If you're not familiar, this is a 60 foot natural waterslide (that's a nice way of saying waterfall...) into a refreshing pool (and that's a marketing way of saying the water is 50-60 degrees on average). I love experiencing things alongside my boys - even plunging into a freezing-cold pool of water. 

So I prepared for the experience by making sure my jewelry was safely tucked away and my husband was ready to get evidence that mom is still a little fun on camera. After my first run down the waterfall, I realized I had forgotten to take off my Apple Watch. Instead of stopping to take it off, I tightened the watch strap and went about my business - you know, sliding down a giant rock. After two more runs, I went to check the time...and it was gone. My Apple Watch had apparently taken the plunge, and I was sure it was a permanent thing. It's not like I could dive to the bottom of the freezing pool of a waterfall to retrieve it (between the lack of visibility, the large number of people enjoying the day, and general safety of diving 8-9 feet at the base of a busy waterfall). 

I was so mad at myself. It's not because the watch was overly sentimental, and it was over four years old. We always work to teach our boys to take care of our nice things, using intention and careful thought to make sure we don't lose, misplace, or break them. And here I was, setting a terrible example. It felt like such a failure and along with it, I felt like a hypocrite for every lecture about a nice baseball glove left out or a new pair of shoes haphazardly thrown around. I hung my head in defeat, sent myself down the slide one more time, and turned the page so we could enjoy our day. 

The next day, I was still feeling my mistake and poor example, but owned it with the boys, put a smile on my face, and tackled the day. We hit the small town of Brevard for some shopping. I took a few minutes to check out a store filled with breakables, so my husband walked off with the boys to avoid a certain disaster (we're literally talking three boys in a pottery shop...). When I found them, my husband was on the phone with a huge smile on his face: a man named Michael was on the other end of the line, sharing that has a hobby diving the pool of Sliding Rock before they open for normal hours. And he had found my watch (along with many others). We met him about 15 minutes away, had a pleasant chat, got my watch, thanked him profusely, and went back to vacation. 

I love a teachable moment, and this one was full of them:

1. Grace matters. Both for others and for yourself. We're human. We're going to mess up. Letting people see us take accountability and recover having learned something is important. 

2. Mistakes can leave space for opportunities. My mistake had turned into a beautiful opportunity for my boys (and me) to see the best of humanity - someone doing something kind, genuine, and selfless to restore joy and peace to others. 

3. Doing the right thing matters. And being awesome can be easy. This man was just engaging in a hobby he loves, did the right thing, and totally changed someone else's disposition. Because, to be honest, I was going to sit in the feeling of losing that dadgum watch the rest of vacation. He didn't ask for anything. There was no production or desire for accolades. It was just kindness in action on every level. 

So if you're ever in Western North Carolina, visit Pisgah, take the plunge on Sliding Rock...and make sure you take off your watch. And let's all be a little more like Michael. 

Michael On. 

Game On. 

Erin Watson is the Director of Programs and Content. For more information about Game On (especially on the best sliding protocol at Sliding Rock), please contact her at [email protected].