When my kids were in grade school, they obsessively watched Warren Miller ski movies. DVD after DVD would find its way into our home and several years, I’d make dinner to the sound of Warren cracking jokes and showcasing the finest skiers of his era.
A few Millerisms have stuck with me.
“The family that skis together bitches at each other,” he once famously said.
Along with the corollary, “the family that skis together, goes broke together.”
When I started Brave Ski Mom in the late summer of July 2010, my goal was to occupy my mind, and fill my days. My youngest was headed to middle school and was done with me showing up at school to volunteer.
I was staring into the void. Without young children at home what would I do?
Another fantastic ski day: Ski Stoneham, Québec
So I turned to something I love more than anything except my family: skiing.
As I often write, “we’re a family that’s done a lot and seen it all.” From putting a toddler in the wrong clothes and sending him out in bad weather, to the emotional ups and downs of junior ski racing, to sharing love and laughter on countless chairlift rides, we are a skiing family.
Over 15 years, we’ve been clicking into our skis together and sharing our weekend days with one another. We’ve done our fair share of bitching at each other, but we’re still not broke…or broken.
Sorry Warren. But, to my mind, a better rule is this:
The family that skis together, enjoys life together.
That’s the Brave Ski Mom rule. And through my writing, I hope to make it easier for other families to avoid bitching, save money and enjoy innumerable, perfect ski days.
Thanks!
PS: Wondering why I call myself brave? Here is the answer.
