Our beach day turned into a beach night. Once I was packed and ready for the beach, I turned around behind me to see that my little ones were deeply engrossed in play. Together. When all three babes are engrossed in play together, well, you just don't mess with that. So the beach plan was quickly abandoned for making popsicles at home, and building forts in the shade of our backyard with bed sheets. A perfect back up plan for this very-tired-anyway Mama. And then, to the beach we went with Papa at the end of the day. Because it's always sooooooo much easier with two parents. And - there was this little detail of an emergency replacement shot I needed for the book. So with film and digital cameras in hand, picnic dinner packed, and 'new' beach bag full - we headed to one of our favorite spots in the world, at the best time of day. Because sunset at the beach in Maine? Really, now. Amazing. I snapped a bunch of photos - I got just the one I need - and we frolicked and ate, and we played and caught crabs, and splashed and swam. And my sweet Mama and sister and niece joined us. It was a very nice night.
And then our night was made even more pleasant by a very literal crossing-of-paths with a blog reader - here in Maine on vacation. We had a lovely evening with Lila, Kathleen, and Jerry - a beautiful family with whom we quickly connected - our kids played marvelously, and we chatted comfortably. When we left the beach - well after dark - I was grateful for our chance meeting, and full of the feeling of the relative 'smallness' of the world we live in. I was reminded that this is one of the things I love most about blogging. In a world that can sometimes feel big, and often dark and negative (and that's without reading the news), the blog 'community' makes it seem just a little bit smaller, friendlier, and well, nicer, if that makes any sense at all. Whether or not we've met, or emailed, or even whether or not you've even commented before is inconsequential - simply by reading, you are a participant in this forum that brings people together. And despite our many geographical or circumstantial distances and differences - we really do all share so very much in common. I'm dreadfully (as in, months) behind on answering emails that I really want to answer (an organizational and time management skill I completely lack), but you know, I feel the same way about them as I do our little beach visit last night - so grateful.
Thank you for all of your kind comments this week, and thanks for reading, friends. Have a lovely weekend.
