Try to deny or run from it, but there are some things in life that anchor a soul...
Like sand castles, buckets & shovels.
Just like children who are secure in their world & able to freely love & attach to others when they have a sense of 'knowing' about the rhythm of their day or bedtime routine, so adults
too need some anchors, things that tie & define them as a family, things
that 'we always do.'
And so we drove 6 1/2 hours to the beach last week and got to enjoy a week of sun & sand & waves & yummy food that Pop-pop made on the grill most nights. We dug up sand dollars & conch shells with critters still living in them, found a live starfish, went crabbing & for golf cart rides.
And I absolutely loved being there on this little nature island where we have gone for years.
We got to hang out by the pool & just 'be' together. I got to play with an airplane with my 3 year old
nephew and paint fingernails with my 10 year old neice. I loved watching my sister get her groove on to some tunes & my other sister dance with my 5 year old son. I was able to comfort & give lovin' to my 12 year old nephew who didn't feel good one day & see my fit & trim brother in law come in from 30 mile bike rides in the morning. I got to wake my own Mom up early one morning & invite her to walk on the beach with me & my girls.
And one afternoon I even let my 3 big kids skip naps & we made tyedye t-shirts at the nature center and then I took them out to the peir to catch sand crabs. My kids went nuts over the hundreds of crabs scurrying around between grassy patches and I loved seeing their glee. The boys caught about 10 each and they gave a few to their little sister who was bummed because she couldn't quite swat & scoop the critters.
Riding golf cart syle slows the pace of life. We all went out for ice cream & some play time at the park
on this night.
And before you start thinking, "how peachy for you & your perfect family" you need to know that we
are not always peachy, we are far from perfect, just like...your family.
On this trip, we fought...and said some hard honest things & took
baby steps in having real relationships, in knowing one another better, but it wasn't easy.
And as my parents & their 41 years of marriage said to us after the tears & "I'm sorry's"...
"we all want to quit sometimes...marriage is hard but don't quit"
"take the good that we've given and modeled to you & build on it...
leave the bad behind"
"life is short, we want to give you & your kids these memories"
and lastly
...this is your family.
Tonight, I thank you Abba for the family you birthed me into. Thank you for
these wonderful, unique, ragamuffin folks who are flawed & selfish just like me. Thank you
Father for a place to belong.
