Molesisms
Some people go to church, and others find a church in daily life.
After three months of traveling this winter, God can be found, not in a stand-alone structure, but in the flowers, the long travel days, skiing the mountains, swimming in the rivers, kiting the oceans, talking to strangers, working on the move, laughing with friends and family, or dancing your heart at a wedding.
Take me to church. Take me on an adventure.
Growing up, my family had a saying, “No mold on the Moles.”
I love and admire my parents for engraining this sense of wonder and adventure from a young age instead of being sheltered in the forest. I flew over the trees to faraway lands. I was able to create new memories, meet new people, and understand new cultures.
There is no mold on the Moles. The Moles never take the escalator, always the stairs. We are constantly moving, never stagnant. Always find the next wave, but be conscious of the one you are on now. These trips would encourage stress, learning, and improvement.
I remember how stressful but fun it was when my parents gave over the reigns to me at a very young age and let me guide them through the various airports to find our gate. Let the youth lead, but be there for guidance when they fall.
This mantra has given me perspective. Perspective on how lucky I am to be born where I was from such incredible parents. My church has taught me perspective, gratitude, love, and adventure. God and the present moment weren’t forced upon me at the altar of some speech but through hundreds of plane rides, car rides, hikes, walks, and setbacks.
Setbacks & The Family Wave
The Moles family wave involves waving the middle finger in the air. It is absolutely hilarious when a group of us does it.
Like most humans, we Moles have experienced hard times. The wave is there to help us find humor during these times, suffer proudly, and smile through life's challenges.
And to our friends, the wave is a hello & goodbye - “Fuck you. I love you.” Friendships and families are not all sunshine and rainbows. We go through these moments together. We don’t always have to agree or like the same things, but we still love each other to the ends of the earth. You can only tell those genuinely close to you to go fuck yourself, but also, I love you to the end of the world and back.
“Fuck you. I love you with all my hart.”
I love you with all my Hart.
This was a latecomer to the Molesisms. My dad wrote me a letter before I went away to my private hockey school in Canada.
Keep your Hart open, Molesy. I do not know if he meant to misspell heart or not. Building his business and growing solid connections was always his forte, not spelling. Nevertheless, the word has stuck with our family. On good days, bad days, and travel days, we usually finish with “I love you with all my hart.”
It is a playful reminder not to take life or yourself too seriously. You will make mistakes, learn from them, and move on. Mispless words, screw grammar, dance, try new things, embrace your individuality, be creative, get a little mud on the tires, get up every day, and be yourself.
“Get up. Survive. Go to bed.”
This phrase comes from my wonderful and loving grandmother, Norma. It sounds pretty morbid to the naked eye. However, deep down, the simplicity shows its hidden beauty.
So many of us are trying to change the world. Yet, we can’t change the world unless we look inward. We try to overcomplicate this life when life really isn’t that complicated.
Get up.
Survive - love your people, adventure, don’t take life too seriously
Go to bed.
“Real revolution takes place not through mass movements but through the inward revaluation of relationship — that alone is real reformation, a radical, continuous revolution. We are afraid to begin on a small scale.”
-J. Krishnamurti in The Book of Life
One step at a time. Don’t think too far down the track of life, or you might miss the critical moments. A general problem with our generation is that we overthink the past and future. Social media is at our fingertips. A comparison engine telling you, “You are just not enough.” A machine telling you to be me more, make more, look sexier, only to arrive at the end of the day feeling shitty.
Come back to reality and the simplicity of life. Get up. Survive. Go to bed.
If I hold these Molesisms close to my hart, I can be more present in daily life, for it is in the present that we find God and all the earth’s beauties.
-Molesy