Life's a beach

On Friday the kids and I trucked down to Long Island for a visit. You remember, the whole thing about moving closer to family was getting to visit once in a while and all this cancer crap has kept me locked in on CT. I've been weary of going too far from home, scheduling appointments and feeling like I couldn't go to LI. I finally realized that I could. I was healthy enough to make the drive - it's only 2 & a half hours. The kids behaved, we weren't in any huge hurry so the pressure was off. We were just going to enjoy a few days. I wanted to go to the beach.

I'm a firm believer in the healing power of the ocean. The beach has long been a place where I felt centered and peaceful. You know, when you need to go to your "happy place" I imagine laying between the dunes and the surf on the lumpy, soft, white sands at Robert Moses listening to the waves, tasting the salt in the air. In my imagination there is always just the right amount of a breeze and clouds and sun to be perfectly comfortable. I love the beach. I love taking walks, I love gathering shells, I love to watch the kids in their playful race with the white surf as it rolls in. I like how you get salty from the water. How your hair looks (when you have some) after a swim and a natural dry.

Yesterday was 7/7/07 so I'm thinking that anything good I was going to get from the beach was probably amplified by the "lucky" day. I only got my feet and legs in the water. Jacqueline ran around in the shallow white water and I have a pocket full of little white shells along with my receipt for the usage fees. Up to $8 now. Whatever. It was money well spent to sit on the shore watching the waves, the kids, a wedding, all types of other people walking around. We had deli sandwiches for supper and left at sunset. We left with sand on our toes that lasted into the shower that night. The good feelings are still with me - like the sand all over the car only much better.
; )