Last summer I shared in my bulletin letter some observations about people at the beach. Here are two short vignettes of the same kind from this afternoon…
A boy and his father approach the spot they’ll stake out as their territory on the shore. As dad spreads the blanket and other beach equipment, his 6-year-old stands, hands on hips, facing the water and announces, “Dad, we are going to play in the OCEAN!” Dad looks up from his chores and joins in, “Yes – We – Are!”
They head towards the water, hand in hand, and I wonder at the boy’s joy and the dad’s love for his son and the gift the beach has just offered them, and they each other...
Not far away from my own piece of beach, a mom, dad and daughter are enjoying the shade of a large orange sherbet umbrella. Mom’s in one of those chairs with stubby legs, just right for the sand. Dad and daughter are on the family blanket. The little girl, 8 or 9 years old, asks her father, “Dad, are you going in the water?” “No,” says dad, “I’m just gonna hang out here with you.”
A smile as broad as the shoreline breaks on the girl’s face as she settles into her father’s company and he into hers...
Years from now neither the boy nor the girl may remember these exchanges on a sunny, long gone August afternoon. Still, such moments of joy and contentment will have made an invisible impression on young hearts, an imprint of a time when, for a moment, all seemed right with the world.
May no storm or tide erase what was written in the sand at Herring Cove this afternoon...
I think even as adults, we all still yearn for those moments of joy and contentment that make us feel all is right in the world - even for just a moment. If you cannot remember these moments when you were a child, hopefully you have people in your lives who love you as adults, and leave lasting impressions in your hearts today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sami. I don't think we ever stop yearning for moments and memories that lighten our hearts. Some of us don't have those memories from childhood, but rather rely on the beautiful friendships we have made as we travel our own path. Each and every day can be made up of special moments when you carry the gift of friendship and love in your heart. Hopefully, as adults, we learn to cherish the memories, embrace the moments, and accept the love that is given to us unconditionally. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all see and accept what is right in front of us each and every day, and keep making the wonderful memories and moments that fill our heart and bring us peace and contentment?
ReplyDeleteI'm experiencing the same with my wife and kids this week. It's such a joy to spend time with them, uninterrupted by phones or work. I'll never forget it! I feel like the luckiest man in the world!!
ReplyDeletegoleft: Hang on to the experience of being the luckiest man in the world which, btw, is not luck but plain old hard work, self-giving, time and love.
ReplyDeleteWe have just completed a 2 week vacation on the beach in Maine. During which we shared many special moments with our grown up sons and our grandchild. A vacation with memories that make all of life special. I agree with goleft, We feel like the luckiest parents/grandparents in the world.(maybe it's the feeling of knowing that all you have tried to instill in your child during teen years,was worth every breath!)
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