I am thankful for

⁃ a day of perfect blues, a slight breeze at the same moment the heat starts to weigh, a calm and inviting shoreline

⁃ The grace and courage of my kids to believe in and be patient with the look of our current life

⁃ The weight of a warm child in my arms who smells like the beach

⁃ The excitement of finding a sand dollar

⁃ Walking at a four-year-old pace, allowing the crab and lizard stalking to consume the walk home

⁃ A sandbar for a collective bold and daring family adventure

⁃ Snuggles from a child who is spilling over and off the sides of me, yet still scrambles and rotates to ensure maximum surface area of touching

⁃ A mother who instilled in me (and is instilling in my kids) a love of long walks on the beach, the discovery of shells, and the knowledge of the natural world. And whose constancy to me is like the constancy of her mother’s corn casserole being served at the thanksgiving meal

⁃ “I love the clouds. They look like waves. I listen to the clouds and they tell me what to do.” (Bess)

⁃ A family frisbee game on the beach to remind me that I have created my own version of holiday bliss, of family time, of traditions

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