As I sit here on vacation feeling the ocean breeze blow across my face, I close my eyes and lean my head back over the top of my short little beach chair. The heat of the Hawaiian sun warms my face so much that it nearly lulls me to sleep. In the background, I can hear the waves lapping up at water’s edge and every once in a while they make it up to my feet. The water is cool and crisp and feels ever so exhilarating and refreshing as it makes it’s way up and over my foot and up my ankle. I feel as though I could sit here for ever as the sounds of the waves crashing up the shore then receding back into the ocean are rhythmic and lulling. Off in the distance, I can hear the yell of a surfer who celebrates as he or she caught a good ride. Sitting here today, there are no worries or burdens to ponder. There are no phones, no televisions, or voices. I have found a beach spot where I’m somewhat secluded, just me, my little beach chair and…
Huh, Am I Dreaming…Again?!
SNAP!
Dang! I’m dreaming again! I fell asleep then snapped my neck when my head fell forward and it woke me up! Wait, you weren’t getting jealous when you thought I was beachin’ it did you? Ha! I only wish I were at the beach today away from the frigid Ohio cold. But this does remind me of a funny story! Wanna hear it? Good, I’m gonna tell you!
The three of us in our little family were at the beach, again! That’s a surprise for us, right?! We had been at the beach for quite a while. Hubby and daughter were taking a break from boogie boarding and we were all sitting in our cute little beach chairs. Gosh, I love those little squatty chairs that you can place on the sand at water’s edge and enjoy the sun while the surf rolls over your feet and cools you off.
How about you?
As usual, I’m reading a book in my chair. Hubby is just people watching. Our daughter has decided to bring a book along on this day as well. After a little while and the fact that the tide has rolled back out taking the water’s edge back with it about ten feet, the daughter decided she would move her chair closer to the water. She asked if I was going to move, too. I decided to stay put as I’m about to finish my book soon. So, off she goes.
She decided to not go all the way out into the water, but rather to place her back to the ocean and place her chair just far enough out that every so often, the water would come up to her feet just a little. One catch. The tide was changing. She didn’t know it. Her parents didn’t tell her! With both of us parents with dark sun glasses on, we kept “busy” doing what we were doing, but in actuality, we were watching the tide come in closer and closer.
Little by little it came closer. She hadn’t noticed the fact that the water was coming a little bit more up her foot. She was that into her book. All of a sudden, my hubby quietly giggled and said, “uh oh! Ready for this?!” Oh yeah! A huge wave came rolling in, splashed up the back of the chair, up and over her and as it receded back out, it took a bunch of the sand along. In fast, slow motion, back she fell in the little beach chair. There she was, stuck in the chair on her back with her legs dangling up in the air and her hand also up in the air trying to save her book. Which didn’t work! It had already been soaked with the wave that crashed up and over and all around her!
To this day, when we see people at the beach sitting in their short little beach chairs it always brings a good laugh to both hubby and I. As for the daughter, she just says, “yeah, yeah. You two were mean parents letting me sit there all the while waiting for the big wave that could have drowned me.”
So I tell you dear friends, no matter how big the huge crashing waves of life may feel at times, you can just laugh your way through it or hang on to the bitterness the waves may cause. As for me, I’ll be snickering my way through just about any wave that hits me.
…and that’s all I have to say about that!
Tammy