Magical Memories

We are at our small town's beautiful marina and campground on our little piece of the Columbia River. It's breathtaking at this time of day. It is sunset. Today was a hot day but the wind is blowing (of course) and here by the river its cooler. The wind is causing waves which makes it look and sound like an ocean. It is impossible to be here and not relax. Even my twelve year old says it makes everything else seem unimportant.

There is a family barbeque going on to the far left of me. Closer to the water is a Little League game. The boys are small maybe just out of T-ball. How many of those games have I sat through I wonder. But the most amazing thing is the transformation in my young teen girls. Kelly (14) has a friend with her. Sarah(12) is off doing her own thing but all three of them have allowed the magic of the water work. They climbed rocks, waded in the river, played in the sand and are now holding hands and jumping the waves. Squeals of delight waft up to me. What happened to the bickering, snippity girls I rode with in my car?

They have been turned into children again. The sand has been dug into moats. They giggle as hand prints and foot prints disappear with the waves. They scream as they jump a wave and lose their balance, landing squarely on their butts neck deep in the “cold, dirty, disgusting water”.They want me to take pictures (of course).

I'm remembering other days spent here with other children. They are adults now. Some have children of their own. Many days were spent at the river. Many memories were made, also. Good ones, I hope. They were for me. And once again, I am reminded how short time is, how quickly it passes and how much I want to treasure each moment I have.

So I watch the girls who will soon be women and hope that they will not lose the ability to be childlike. In the future, they will bring their own children to the beach (wherever it is) and my prayer is that they will enjoy their memories and make wonderful new ones. That's the view from my side of the street, what's yours?