Being Wilder

When my son Brad first told me he was taking me to an island for two days when I came to visit in October, I thought he was just kidding around. Even the night before we were scheduled to climb aboard the lobster boat that would take us to the island, I kept expecting Brad to say, "Joke's on you, Mom! Did you seriously think I would spend two days on an island with you?" But when Brad's girlfriend Shelby dropped us off at the dock with our backpacks filled with clothes, sleeping bags and pillows, I realized that my sweet son was indeed taking me to an island ... Hurricane Island. And no, I didn't ask how the island got its name ... of course I didn't ask, I'm terrified of storms. As I'm sure Brad would tell you, however, I did ask a million other questions during our two-day stay on the rocky, wooded chunk of land in the middle of the ocean ... a million questions that he answered patiently, even the ones I asked multiple times.

Brad's reason for going to the island was to do some filming for the Hurricane Island Foundation, a nonprofit science and education foundation based on the island. He explained that we would be meeting up with another young filmmaker who had been awarded a grant to produce a documentary about the work of the foundation. Brad would be filming with his drone while the young man filmed with his regular camera, and later weaving the two together to help tell the story of the foundation and the people who make it up.

I knew there was something special about the young filmmaker the moment he extended his hand to greet me as he introduced himself. The gentleness in his eyes and the softness of his voice drew me in, and I quickly found myself wanting to hear more of this young man's story. I watched as he and Brad scampered across the rocky coastline in search of the perfect shot, and I smiled as they moved through the forest with a confidence I knew I'd never be able to match. The young filmmaker sauntered easily along the path as he chatted with us about the history of the island, his family back on the mainland, his passion for film and his dreams for the future. By the time we headed back to the dining hall for dinner, I knew  ... I knew this kid was the real deal.

There are times in life when someone unexpected comes along ... times when someone comes along who changes you and makes you a better person. Someone like the young filmmaker I met on an island off the coast of Maine. The young man whose kind heart and gentle spirit touched my heart and warmed my soul ... the young man who inspired me to live every moment to the fullest ... the young man who reminded me that it's never too late to follow your dreams. There are times when someone comes along who changes you and makes you a better person than you were before ... someone like a young filmmaker named Wilder.