STONE HARBOR, NJ – As our week at the beach draws to a close, the girls are in bed, though not yet asleep, I type, watching the sun set from the back deck of our rented house.
I am struck by a sense of gratitude for this time with my family, for the sun and the ocean and the earth, for my life.
We returned to the sea this year with an ebullient sense of excitement and anticipation. We return home tomorrow, filled with new memories, nourished by deepened connections with one another and our extended family.
Walking back from the beach with Hannah, slowly, looking for interesting rocks on the way, I was reminded again how important it is to attend to the present, to stop for the beautiful purple flowers, and to share a moment together.
Chris … I love the more personal entries and I certainly feel your sentiment. My two are growing fast and I find myself trying to cling to every moment with them … it is a new feeling and I am working harder than ever to maintain my attention to the present. Sounds like you all had a wonderful trip to the shore … keep the memories in a safe place and continue to stop and smell the purple flowers.
I have to remind myself to do the same.
I stopped at the library last night and picked up two books by Eckart Tolle called The New Earth and The Power of Now. They are pretty heavy reads, but so far are right on the mark for remembering to live in the moment.