Winner- Kathy
The Tide
I recently went on a week-long trip to the Georgia coast with my middle son, daughter-in-law, and three of my grandchildren.
It’s hard to get a picture of the vastness of the sand and water. We stayed on East Beach on St. Simon’s Island, where more and more sand is washing from the other side of the island and adding to this side. In this particular area there is quite a difference between high and low tide.
We stayed in a lovely rental home a block from the beach, but since this was my first trip to Saint Simons Island, I discovered once we had walked to the “beach,” I still had a way to go to get to the water’s edge. We went through the low trees and brush on a sandy path, across a tidal stream, dodging tiny crabs, and across small dunes before finally reaching the water. We had two young children, a baby, and all their beach needs. It was more of a hike than I’d expected.
The amount of sand on East Beach is growing fast, washing in from nearby Sea Island. The shifting of sand in this area is a natural phenomenon, but it makes planning a future hard for businesses and home owners. A little over two miles west of where we stayed, the sand is eroding, and quickly. At high tide near the iconic lighthouse there is no beach at all, and although this has been the case for years, the erosion has been increasing.
(This picture is of low tide. The water will recede several feet for a few hours each day. You can see the lines on the steps and rocks where the water comes to at high tide.)
There’s a popular quote of unknown origin that says “Time and tide wait for no man.”
Yesterday we were newlyweds and planted a sapling. Today the tree is tall and we have become an old married couple. Our babies have been married for many years and have babies of their own.
(Silas won’t slow down on his growing up, and that’s good, but I need to soak in all I can of each precious phase.)
The silver lining is that although these subtle shifts of time moving onward can drastically change the landscape of our lives, we know there is beauty in every stage, just as children playing on the beach or the waves crashing on the rocks are both beautiful in different ways.
Life is shifting sands, weighty effort to enjoy a few hours on the beach with loved ones, and acceptance that time changes the landscape for all of us.
What place have you visited that brought peace, insight, or refreshment?
(Your answer may encourage others, but if you’d rather not share, any comment will enter you into the giveaway.)
Giveaway
For this month’s post, I am giving away a copy of my August release, Gathering the Threads, as well as a souvenir magnet of St. Simons Island.
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