Thursday, September 6, 2012

Stop and Smell the Salty-Air


Before we left Galveston Monday morning, I woke up with an urge to go to the beach just one more time.  I woke up the kids and asked each one who wanted to go.  I had one taker - Lanie.  So we threw on our suits, drove our 1 minute to the beach, and we watched the glorious sun rise.


I walked and Lanie ran through the sand and we searched for "little baby shells" and bird feathers.  We ran into one woman, who seemed a regular beach-goer who told us the area we were in was one of the few in Galveston to find sand dollars that had washed ashore.   
 

Once we found that out, and this kind beach walker brought us a couple, we were on the look-out for our own.  We slowed our pace, we took our time, and finally began to spot a piece here, a piece there.  Camouflaged in the sand with little shine, they were easy to miss.  The moment provided a great lecture, more to me than to Lanie, about stopping to smell the roses, or in this case, to smell the salty-air and search for treasures.  




This Labor Day morning of interrupted time was rare and wonderful.  I don't know why Lanie was the only one who opted to head out to the beach.  Was it because she loves spontaneous adventure?  Was the beach calling her too?  Maybe because she was doing something without her brother and sister?  Or was it because she just loves her mom and wanted to spend time with her?  I don't know the reason - but I thank God she said, "I'll go with you, mommy."  While I would have enjoyed a half-hour wading in the water and praying out loud to the wind and the waves, I was just as happy to hang out with my girl.


And because our trip was so successful, and because Lanie totally bragged about how much fun we had, everyone else wanted to join in the sand dollar search.  So we put off packing for 1 more hour, why not? and the whole family headed back to the salt-water for one last fling.






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