Mother Nature was angry and she was punishing us with heavy winds, high seas, and the kind of rain that stings when it hits your face. Dad was at the helm and I was trimming the sails. We were about three hours from home and the only choice was to keep going.

I’d never been in conditions like this and I was scared. I looked to my left and could see that dad was not. He had a grin dancing at the corners of his mouth and was focused on keeping the boat going where we needed her to go.

He looked at me, smiled, and said in the most matter-of-fact voice, “Darlin’, boats are made to float.” And he was right. If you just keep the boat off the rocks and away from other boats, you’re going to get home.

And now, twenty years later, when I feel fear creeping in, I imagine dad next to me whispering in my ear.

Thank you for the gift of sailing, Captain Steve!