Beach Days

I have been enjoying the beach the past few weeks. The kids and I went twice last week with friends and again yesterday with our homeschool group.

It’s finally hot enough to enjoy being in the water, and my kids are old enough to really play in the waves without constant supervision. Unlike most of Southern California’s outdoor pleasures, swimming at the beach is seasonal, for most locals, because the water is only warm enough to enjoy for a few short weeks. But for the first time ever I have been actually getting in and enjoying it.

I think that might be one of the benefits of getting older. I spend less time sitting around assuming I can’t do something or won't enjoy something and I just try. My little sister told me years ago that my problem was that I was "just afraid of not having a good time." She might have been right.

Running the marathon was really great for me because I was able to accomplish something big that I had thought was impossible. I am so grateful to the friends who encouraged me and gave me that little push toward “going for it.”

Here is big news for me: I can touch my toes. I never could when I was a kid. But I can now. Maybe this time next year I’ll be able to jump rope more than 3 jumps in a row or cross the entire monkey bars.