Monday, August 8, 2011

Beach Memories

This weekend we, as a family, had one of the best weekends ever.  The kind of weekend where the memories are so nice that you don't mind it ending because you can keep thinking about it.  And it makes you smile.

Saturday we spent time doing things we love.  I went to a workshop for a crochet project I've volunteered for.  A bunch of women, sitting in a yarn shop, making stuff with yarn.  That is what I call a perfect afternoon.  While I did that D took Emily down to Waikiki and they played chess with the random chess lovers that meet near the Duke Kahanamoku Statue.  To D that is a perfect afternoon.  Pretty perfect for Emily too because she adores hanging out with her Daddy.  After getting to spend the afternoon apart, stretching our individuality, we came back together to spend a nice, quiet, evening watching a movie and eating cheese.

Sunday was more time together.  We got out to church for the first time in a month and then rushed home to change so we could all go out and play at Ko Olina Beach Lagoons.  D had his first experience snorkeling.  Emily had her first experience swimming in the "deep" part of the ocean.  Up till this point she had only ever sat in the surf and fussed whenever a wave would come up too hard.  Sunday she loved everything and was quite the little dolphin.  Her cheeks must have been hurting from all the smiling she was doing.

We rounded out our weekend by taking a long drive down the leeward coast, past Makaha and all the way to Kaena Point.  Driving home we saw the sunset over the ocean.  A vision I saw everyday growing up in Maui, but something that is still magical.

It doesn't sound like much, but there was something rather alive about this weekend.  As if, finally, after all this work and planning and building we found the chance to live a day rather than get through a day.  Life has been busy for us here and at the same time pretty boring.  A house, a family, a wedding, school, work - it all starts to pile on the stress and depression.  Even when we were having fun and doing wonderful things there was an undercurrent of stress that kept enjoyment away.  Just going to the beach, the very picture of paradise, seemed like a lot of work and chores to me.  I'm not sure my husband felt the same way, but my attitude probably didn't help him relax.

But this weekend, this very simple weekend, gave me a chance to exhale.  As I swam out to the breakers and looked out at the ocean expanding ahead I finally felt that feeling only the ocean can give: the feeling of being weightless, small, yet significant because that ocean connects you to all parts of the world all at once.

I didn't take a single picture this weekend.  There is no keepsake from this weekend to remember it by save some extra sand.  But I know these past few days will be some of my favorite memories of our time living in Oahu and being a family of three.  I am so grateful that these are good memories - finally.

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