This weekend my husband and I had the good fortune of attending a friend’s wedding in Newport. It was a magical event full of love and joy. And when in America’s first resort town, the ocean calls. So yesterday, we spent our day at one of Newport’s beautiful beaches. Just the two of us.
When our girls were little, and our funds were very limited, day trips to the beach were one of our favorite things to do. Hours passed quickly while the girls played in the waves, sculpted sea creatures from sand and searched the shoreline for special rocks. These trips were magical in their simplicity and ease. Each day ended in contentment and the promise of a good night’s sleep. These were days that all was right in the world.
As the day wore on, more and more families filled the beach. A young family set up beside us.
“Look,” my husband whispered, “It’s Ariel,” referring to the little girl’s swimsuit. Ariel had been our daughter’s favorite Disney princess and her image had graced so many of her swimsuits. Instantly our conversation turned to our children. We shared memories of days at this very beach and discussed our kids’ current events.
We marveled at how quickly the time has gone. It seems like mere days that our children were in the single digits of life, frolicking in the waves, sporting images of their favorite princesses. For a brief moment, I felt a passing twinge of sadness, watching the family beside us play. I missed my girls who weren’t little girls anymore.
But the sadness was quickly replaced with excitement. My girls are young adults now, forging their way in a world that needs their special gifts and talents. Whose opportunities are endless.
And then it hit me. Although I didn’t consider it when my children were elementary school aged, playing make-believe and admiring princesses; letting go is precisely what we’ve been preparing our children for their entire lives. We’ve encouraged them to let go of our hands, frolic in the waves, and make their own way in the world bit by bit.
In a few weeks, the four of us will meet up in a house by the water. We’ll sit in the sand, search the shore for special rocks. Doubtless, my heart will be filled with gratitude. For I know these days pass quickly, too.
©Kathie Z.