It was a stressful weekend, but we're a strong family, and we were almost all there. Saturday morning we woke up early after a fretful night's sleep, and some of us went to the hospital to be with Grandpa when they took him off the respirator. Against all expectations, he's been breathing on his own since then. Things could change at any moment, and none of us really knows what to expect or how to feel. He's been through a lot for a 90-year old.
After getting back to the house Saturday morning, I needed an escape. Several of us headed down to the shore. We went to Island Beach State Park - it felt like the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Soft blue colors, diffuse morning light, empty sand and sea stretched out as far as we could see. I ran until I was gasping for breath, I took photographs, and I just lay in the sand feeling the weight of the earth supporting me, with the sound of the waves drowning out all of the worry and exhaustion.
I felt like I could stay there forever. But life goes on, so I stood up, brushed the sand out of my hair, and we walked back toward reality.
Check out the Island Beach State Park website here.
Learn more about barrier island ecosystems here.
lovely.
ReplyDeleteI need to make plans to go to the beach, sand in my hair sounds very appealing.
btw, I found a frame for your photo and can't wait to put it up. I'll post an image of it when I do. I love it!