Ocean

This week we spent nearly every day at the beach. (Thank you Beth.) I watched my kids and their cousins tumble in and out if the surf. They body surfed and boogie boarded. They let the waves push and pull them with their strength. They played in the sand, made sand angels, buried each other, and built small sand castles that Andrew stumbled over. They laid in tide pools, looked for shells and dug for clams with success.
Beth and I looked on from our chairs in the sand laughing, reading and calling out commands to stop throwing sand.
As we watched my heart swelled with pride at the children's independence and curiosity. No one needed a hovering mother. The children looked out for one another. Andrew is now two and content to be "one of the kids".
As I watched them I remembered spending many a Saturday growing up at the beach. Like the children, I loved the ocean. I loved its power, I loved the way it lifted, pushed and pulled my body. I loved doing thousands of cartwheels up and down the beach while my dad ran along side me.
This week I read two books and good ones. I let the soothing sounds of the ocean and ever changing colors recharge my batteries, and soothe my wounds. My body is tanned (or burnt) and I love that I have a visible souvenir of my week.
Bliss. Now off to bed.