Grandma Henke

To my delight I woke today to a bright, sunny day.   Although we have enjoyed the wonderful, cool weather here on the seashore there haven’t been very many days of sunshine.   Having come from the desert where the sun ALWAYS shines I have missed it.    So, this afternoon we, of course, drove down to the beach where we could enjoy tit to our heart’s content.     We zipped up our jackets and walked along the boardwalk with little Lady dog.

I love to watch the waves come in.    I love the sound as they crash on the sand.   It is enjoyable to watch the tide go in and out and think about the laws of nature … how everything is put together just so to make it all work for our benefit.    I see the ocean, the mountains, the blue sky, the green grass waving in the breeze, the beautiful flowers and I think how wonderful it is that it is all put together so precisely.    It is almost more than I can take in at times it is so overwhelming.

I love watching the pelicans and seagulls as they fly like soldiers in formations through the sky.  Sometimes they are in a line that comes from the south and goes on to the north as far as I can see.   Other times they are in smaller troops and fly in a V soaring and gliding exactly together.  All at once they will soar down dip into the waves where they scoop up their food without breaking stride.    It fascinates me to watch them and I could … and have … watched them for hours.   I love how they follow the leader … sometimes changing who is the leader … and yet they all know exactly where to go and what they are to do. They respect the importance of the rules and take care of their assignment so those ahead and behind them can be successful too.

Today there were lots of kites out flying in the blue sky.  Tomorrow is the first day of a week long Kite Festival.   They will be having events throughout the next five or six days.   I’m sure we’ll be taking a lot of pictures.  In fact, I have pictures I should include with this post but it is late and I’m too tired to download and do it tonight.   Maybe tomorrow I’ll just post the pictures.    Some of the kiters work in groups and some of them work solo with multiple kites.  They make their kites seem like they are alive … with difficult choreography to follow.   They make it look easy but I have also noted it takes a lot of practice and skill.  They practice their routines over and over and over for hours until I think their arms must ache from the strain.   They are working on a goal and staying with it until they reach it.

When I’m not watching the waves, or the birds, or the kites, I watch people.    Today I watched two different little toddlers  boys who were just getting the hang of walking.  I would guess they couldn’t have been more than a year and a half, if that.   They were trying to go solo across the deep, drifted sand and neither little boy wanted assistance from their mothers.   They would go a few steps, their arms out to steady themselves, and then inevitably they would fall down.  Sometimes they would just fall on their diapered bottoms but other times they would fall face down in the sand.   They didn’t cry or get discouraged, they just kept pushing themselves up, taking another few steps and then falling down again.  They made it all the way all by themselves … probably a good 400 or so yards … which isn’t far for an adult but for their tiny little wobbly legs it was a great achievement.   I thought of how we are like those little toddler boys in so many ways only as adults we somehow have decided we aren’t allowed the luxury of stumbling as we learn and when we inevitably do we decide it is too hard or beyond our capabilities and we give up.    Some will keep going longer, but if there are too many setbacks we get discouraged and stop.   Sometimes we kid ourselves into thinking we didn’t really want to do it anyway.   Others, like those little boys, keep going no matter how many set backs there are and eventually get to the end and feel the jubilation of having finished.   Having done it once they will have the courage and tenacity to do it again … and try more difficult challenges and accomplish those, too.

So today I saw the strength and magnificence of Mother Earth in the waves in the ocean, the beauty of organization and obedience in the pelicans, the tenacity and practiced skills of the kiters, and the courage and determination of two little toddlers who walked through the deep sand.    It was a beautiful day and I am so thankful for it.