At This Moment

I am sitting in my favorite chair with sand in my toes and shells in my pockets. My kids have sand in their toes too. They’re curled up on the couch bundled in towels and sipping hot chocolate.

We just got back from the beach.

I decided to do away with today’s tasks and enjoy some time with my kids. Without having to look at laundry baskets or feel the tug of daily to-dos. I left my camera at home along with everything but my flip flops and some towels. Sometimes I just know when it’s time to set it all down and just observe.

We made the few minute drive over to the beach and took in some sun, breeze and salt water. While I laid in the sand looking on, the kids chased birds, dug holes in the sand, made sand mountains and picked up oodles of sea shells. They yelled and giggled and threw themselves into the sand over and over. They chased each other and held hands while walking to the water. They threw sand in each others’ hair. All the while, I sat on a cool November afternoon hugging my sweatshirt closer to me to stay warm while they were blissfully ignorant about the cool afternoon in the water and sand.

I watched the waves crash, sifted my fingers through the sand and collected my own sea shells. I quietly looked on at my children having a totally carefree time together. And I was there when they’d make their occasional trips over to me to show me handfuls of shells, fistfuls of sand or just to get a hug. I watched on as they pointed out airplanes flying overhead or checked to make sure I saw all 374 birds that flew by.

When it was time to go, they dumped their things into our beach bag, along with a lot of sand and shells and we headed back home.

Here we sit, sand still shaking off us when we move. Bundled to warm up. Checking out the shells we brought home and comparing their colors and sizes. And I could not feel happier.