Warm Wilmington

It was warm alright.  But not just in the "I can take my shoes off and put my feet in the ocean" way.  It was "warm" in so many other ways.  First of all, how can a weekend playing in the state tennis tourney be anything but warm, and I mean on the inside of your ever-lovin' tennis heart?  Secondly, how can a weekend in a town where your best friend is also who can't wait to see you play tennis be less than super warm?  Third, how can it be sub-warm if you have man friends who are also there and also want to see you play (and who are dying for you to watch them play?).  But finally and most of all, how can your weekend be anything but toasty warm your heart kind of warm if you are there with the people you love spending time with the most in the world...your children.  My children.  I will never, ever stop relishing our moments in the sun last weekend.  Arm in arm, walking along the streets of Wilmington, my beloveds made me laugh, interested me with their stories and conversations, delighted me with their own beautiful relationship and gifted me with their full attention.  I snuggled in between them as we walked along, soaking in the sheer joy of it all.   I tried to soak it all in through my very through my very roots, consciously trying to absorb the moment.    At the same time, I could almost see us from afar, like a picture frame or movie we were in my mind.  I watched with immense gratitude and thanksgiving.   These two are more than my children.  They are the people who I want to be with, who challenge me, who interest me, who entertain me, and who love me.  

There was even more warmth.  I know, it is almost too much.  The weather was perfectly beautiful. Crisp but not cold.  Sunny.  I could do what I do best....bake on warm surfaces like a lizard.  I got to lay on the beach with my daughter, watching my son, tall and lanky in his wet suit, venture out into the surf.  I got to see his sheer enjoyment of those moments in the ocean, catching some of his first legitimate rides on a board.  I got to see his maturity and sticktoitiveness.  I got to see his enormous feet waving in the air as he paddled his board, my daughter and I cracking up at the sight of those two white "flags" in the sea.  I got to see how tall he looked as he unfolded from his board pop up moment to full height as he rode the wave in (insert his gigantic smile here).

Do you value moments more when you know they are fleeting?  Do you value them more when you eek out your pennies to make them happen, hoping you can make it to the next pay check?  Do you understand your life better when you know you are a "have" even though, compared to your past, you know you are viewed as a "have not?"  All the answers, for me, seem to be a resounding yes.