Life At The Beach

While to some it may seem extravagant, to me it is survival--a trip to the beach front for days of R & R. Being here gives me so many things I want to share with others, but don't know any better way than to post them in this blog. My husband is a pastor--he is busy writing articles, preparing messages, taking phone calls and studying his Bible so he can answer questions almost all the time. He is supportive of my life as a midwife and maintains two office buildings and helps in so many ways. And I'm a midwife who just had the busiest year of my life...all of this to say that we need a true "break" once in awhile.

A road trip to the beach means we laugh together more than usual, we are excited about the coming days of pleasure and rest, and we feel young again. Upon our arrival in Gulf Shores, AL we found that the condo that we had "down-sized" to in order to afford two weeks here rather than the originally budgeted for one week, is awesome and has the biggest balcony with the best view of God's endlessness we have ever experienced. I love it anytime of the day for reading, eating, sitting or even sleeping!

Yesterday I was down on the beach sunning and there were two or 3 other small groups of people some distance away--up and down the beach. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as a bright pink innertubed came rolling by, all alone, moving fast in the wind, sailing along the beach. Everyone was watching it and it came and came, then passed me, then kept going and going--way down the beach and up a sand dune and over it and then I couldn't see it, but saw others still watching it down the beach. It was awesome. After some time a little girl--10 or so--came jogging along in it's path and out of sight over the sand dune. A long time later she came back with it in tow. It was just a strange sight...

Today, I learned how to whistle--yep...all my life I have tried and tried to whistle and never could do more than blow air or spit. Today I actually got it and whistled on the beach and realized it is all in how I hold my upper lip that makes it happen. I'm thrilled, but not going to irritate my husband too much! Who knows what tomorrow will bring here on the beach...just like real life, we are so grateful to have the expectations of yet another day.

"I Want My Mommy"

How does one begin to describe that need in all of us for someone to care for us, to nurture us, to just be there when we need them? It's what being a mother is all about and while I'm a mother, and I work with many, many women who are also mothers, it has occurred to me that we all have times when "we just want our mommy!"

Women seem to be stronger than men and children when it comes to sickness, but even I who am seldom ill, just wish I had someone to totally take care of me once in awhile--usually when I'm home sick with a nasty cold, it's cold and gray outside, and I don't feel like doing anything and no one is around anyway! So, is this a selfish need? Is it a desire for attention?

When I'm sick, I often realize that my whole being is "on empty" and that this is one way to fill 'er up and get back where I can be of use to others. Since my mother passed away over 15 years ago and I can't even call her and sound pitiful, I instead search for other ways to get the feeling of love, warmth and care. I remember some of my favorite foods that nurtured me as a child--like tapioca pudding, chocolate no-bake cookies, and homemade vegetable soup. I curl up with a book to read, take warm baths and write in my journal. I do those things that Mother taught me to do as she did them for me or gave me permission years ago to do them.

And then, I have also learned that tidying up my surroundings will nurture me and somehow helps me regroup both physically and mentally. So, I straighten up, re-do my To Do lists, and clean my kitchen as soon as I feel I can manage that. And finally, when I have that keep inner longing for someone else to nurture me--I let them...the friends who are willing to do that for me. I call them or e-mail them and let them know that they sustain me and that their caring for me matters. Then I complete the circle of mothering by reaching out to others and putting into practice what sustains us all--being a mothering friend to those who are where I was. It's just another example of "what goes around, comes around" and being needy or nurturing--one can get you to the other.

For Mother's Everywhere.