Beaches...

Its interesting isn't it that some places have an allure for times of reflection, and thought, places that perhaps you'd never think of as much? The beach, for me has to be probably the first on the list.  But a year ago, I might have thought it was a park or a cafe somewhere in Texas, or Iowa, or Wisconsin.  Certainly not a beach, there wasn't one around for miles.

But this particular beach was almost an icon before we arrived.

My dad spoke about it for weeks before.  His idea was to sit on the beach, enjoy a bit of KFC, piles of junk food, drink cheap wine, watch the sunset and the waves and just spend time.  So one day, we almost did just that, went to the beach about an hour away, bought a chook (roast chicken) from a nearby shop, in fact the only shop in the area, minus the drinks. There was no KFC in sight, but  junk food didn't seem to be a problem.
We arrived in the afternoon. I followed the girls to the beach eager to take photos of our first Aussie beach outing. The clear waters and spotless sand, the sun reflecting on the ripples, making the blue water sparkle... it was beautiful.

The girls immediately ran to the water and sunk thier toes into the sand, waiting for the waves to lap around thier feet.  It was an experience they had had only a couple of times before. It was fun to just watch.

...but in essence I knew it would be the last time I'd be going to the beach thinking of it quite the same way I did that day.  Even that day, Dad was very ill, only being able to sit in the car.  He didn't get to watch the girls enjoy the waves and sand, collecting shells and digging holes.  Though he was delighted to see thier collection, paying tribute to their diligence and enjoying thier enthusiasm.

By late afternoon, we were more than ready to return. The girls having collected more than enough shells to last a lifetime, and I collected a record of how much time I would spend, after over a decade of being away from home.

A few months have passed since then.  While I remember it always as a happy outing, when we visit that beach, we sit in the same spot, I watch the waves and remember Dads wish for a 'why not' picnic. 

We always go to the store we did that same day, buy a roast chicken and sit on the beach enjoying ourselves.  The girls collect thier shells, play footsies with the water and dig holes, waiting for the water to fill them up.

I sit and reflect, and smile as I watch the sun catch the water, remembering, feeling the cool breeze on a hot day, and listening to quiet words I heard the last time I would go to the beach with Dad.