Life's a Beach

Summer is here and my family is spending several weeks at a beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My In-laws have a house on Ocracoke Island…that’s just south of Cape Hatteras. My family has been spending the summers there for the past 12 years. I am usually busy in the summer and haven’t made it down during their stay for about 5 years. This year, I made it down for a long weekend and I thought I’d jot down a few thoughts.

I grew up in Florida and the beach was a big part of my formative years. I don’t go as often these days as I’d prefer to be in the deep woods (as any of you who read this blog are aware). Going to the beach is sort of a “been there, done that” kind of feeling for me. Still, there are some very stirring things about … the end of the land and the edge of the shining sea.

There is no way for me to count the hours that I have spent looking out at the Ocean and thinking about my life and dreams. There’s something about that place that makes you contemplate bigger things. I have gotten away from my connection to the shore and it felt good to walk the coastline again. Of course, there was a lot of time with my kids as well. I played football, went boogie- and skim-boarding and just spent time walking the beach with my son and daughter, but I also got some time with myself.

There’s a flip saying that, “Wherever you go…there you are!” I always found this one funny, but it occurs to me now that there’s something a little deeper there (I’m sure you think I’m crazy saying that). If you’ve been reading this then you know that I believe that our search for God is ultimately a search to know ourselves. How wonderful is it that we find pieces of ourselves…of our past and of our future…in the world that surrounds us. How wonderful that some of the truth and beauty that defines us is reflected in this imperfect world of ours. I think I’ll try to get to the beach again sometime soon…it’s funny how little you can miss a place until you suddenly find yourself there and all your good memories begin to crowd in on you. Best of the summer to all of you.

Love! Norm.