Heart and Soul,.... and a Little Fishin’

What do you call it when you realize that you’ve been missing something wonderful that has always been there, seemingly waiting, for you to just shift your focus enough to find it?

It was just by chance that we ended up staying in a house on the Intercoastal Waterway this year at Holden Beach. We had waited until the last minute to book a beach house and happened to luck into one situated just a hop away from the bridge, which made it really easy to get to Provisions...and WINGS, of course. It also had a dock right on the Intercoastal Waterway. We didn’t realize at first what this meant.

Grampa brought fishing poles and gear…and found a bait shop for worms (after bologna and hotdogs didn’t do the trick).

What a wonderful experience it was for the kids to get to fish with cousins or an uncle after a day in the sun, sand, and waves! In the evenings, all three families (Cleggs, Prices, Fishers) and Grandparents would converge at the house for dinner and to visit. After dinner, kids and adults would inevitably drift down to the dock to throw in a line and stand waiting, talking, or not talking. Some nights, just a few croakers and pinfish took the bait, other nights, (once the bait got upgraded to the leftover shrimp...absolutely do NOT mention this around Grandma) they were being reeled in fast and furious.

On the East side of the Island, it’s all about the ocean. The waves, the wind, the sand. The colors are always the same: varying shades of blue and grey sky and water and miles of beige-brown sand. We are lulled by the steady rhythm of the waves and tides that never end, like the steady beating of the heart.

On the West side, it’s peaceful. Quiet except for the occasional boat or jetski, … the splash of a jumping fish, the low murmur of a father and son’s fishing banter . Maybe a cool breeze will arise, maybe not. The colors are dark blues, greys, greens, the sunwashed pastels of weathered beach-house paint, or bright oleander flowers, and everchanging shades of yellow, orange, pinks, purples, and red sunsets. Just being there brings joy to my soul.

After 14 years of focusing purely on “the big show” a few steps to the East that is the Atlantic Ocean, I have finally become aware of the peace, beauty, and fun that has always been there, waiting to be discovered…just on the other side.

A-maze-ing

After so many years it seems like we've just about done it all at the Beach. Actually, we are totally happy doing the same old things: wave jumping, skimboarding, shell hunting, reading, etc. We never get bored with our comfortable routine, but don't really expect anything different. And that is fine. Everything's fine when you're at the beach!

But lo and behold, this year a little something out of the ordinary popped up.

We had been working on burying Halibut in the sand:



When we noticed that someone had drawn an immense sand maze! The kids had fun trying to work their way through it without crossing any solid lines. FUN!

I was so impressed that the person who created it with painstaking detail had spent so much time doing it, and then left it to entertain strangers...knowing that the waves would eventually come and wash it away.....

It made me think about how we often spend so much time doing (or working to pay for) things that are temporary: decorating a house, gardening, etc. Do they really matter in the long run?

Mothers know that a lot of what we create is temporary: meals, Halloween costumes, science projects, clean laundry, cupcakes for the class, family vacations.....


We do it anyway. Each day mothers create seemingly fleeting moments of comfort or joy, but the memories won't be so easily washed away. When we do the same old things every day, we are investing our time and talents building families, strengthening relationships... those things last forever.

I like looking at it from that perspective!

Legoland

For the past few years, a certain red plastic bucket has been conspicuously perched in the center or off to the side during most of our family gatherings. I've moved it about a thousand times. It's there during Saturday morning cartoons, scripture reading, home-teacher and grandparent visits, and it invariably comes out during 'quiet time' on Sunday afternoons. Did I mention that I've moved it a thousand times?

But I don't complain. You see, I have a deep respect for the humble Lego--those stackable, snapable, bricks of plastic that have captured my children's imagination and povided hours of (mostly quiet) creativity for all of them. I would say that Legos have been the best value of all the toys we've ever bought. I know families that have passed down their Legos through generations without letting them go.

So, I'm glad that I remembered someone telling me about a Lego store in Orlando. I had heard that you could buy just the pieces you wanted, and be free from the confines of the ubiquitous "set", which is just about the only way you can buy Legos these days.

With Christmas just around the corner, I suggested that we might make a "quick stop" before beginning our treck home from Florida, and possibly score a bag of wheels (very valuable parts). Silly me.

The store was set in a lovely shopping area in Downtown Disney, filled with plenty of venues designed to relieve vacationers of their money. But it quickly became clear that the Lego store was everyone's favorite. Kids and their families would hang out there for hours - just as we did, maybe even bring a lunch over (we didn't).

I trooped my girls over to the Disney souvenier emporium next door to find an 'official' souvenier but they didn't last ten minutes. No one over there seemed to be having any fun. I smiled secretly to myself as we made our way back. Big business marketing tactics have always bugged me. Aparently they bug my kids too.

I sat and watched my happy kids and made a few observations about the Lego place:

It was set up for kids to play, get creative, and have fun!
There were amazing things to look at.

There were tons of pieces to tinker with.

It wasn't geared toward one gender or the other.

I didn't notice any blaring or otherwise annoying music.

There were no annoying sales 'gimmicks' or pressure.

The sales people really seemed to enjoy being there.

My kids would have been happy to stay there all day.

We didn't spend much money, but left feeling really satisfied.

I think Santa would approve.