Good Medicine

We all look forward to get away weekends, vacations, reunions, family get togethers. All of these things can be great but sometimes there is just one thing that stands out to you as a person that is like medicine to your soul. Do you have something that you do or somewhere that you go that just does your soul good? For me it is spending time at the beach. Norbert and I discovered our love for the beach when our children were small when we went to the beach with some friends. For many years Norbert and I even toyed with the idea of buying a condo at the beach because we loved it so much.
Fast forward 25 years and I can can count on one hand just a couple of years that we have not been able to go. We've never had a lot of money and I quickly discovered how to save a little every paycheck starting in January and by June or July could have enough to pay for a condo at the beach for a week. We would go out to eat once or twice and I cooked in the rest of the time. It was a relatively inexpensive vacation because the entertainment was provided once you were there. Mind you this wasn't the fanciest condo and it wasn't "on" the beach, but it was a great place across the street from the beach with a fabulous unobstructed view. Before we knew it, it was a family tradition and we were going every year. Summertime and vacation in our family meant "Destin". There have been several times that some of our close friends and their families all packed up and went with us. We all got condos side by side and had a great week together.
Since my children have grown and moved on to college and now marriage, there have many years that Norbert and I have gone to the beach TWICE in one year!! I think the kids loved these summer vacations in Destin and I hope they have fond memories of spending time together there. Several times in the last few years we have all joined our calendars and rented a big place and all the family has gone together.
Personally, there is just nothing else that recharges me like the noise of the surf, the sand on my feet and the sun on my shoulders. As I reflect back over the last 25 or so years, we didn't set out for this to become a tradition, it was just something we loved to do and it became our tradition.
Do you have traditions like this in your family? Finding something you all love and doing it is a good way to start a family tradition. These times spent together with family and friends produce memories that last for a lifetime.

Grammie

Safe Harbor

Memories overwhelmed me on Sun night late as we learned that the person whose forces attacked our country 10 years ago was dead. Ten years ago, I heard on the radio at work that a plane had hit one of the twin towers and I remember thinking, man is that a horrible mistake. That morning Norbert was having a new tire put on his car and was in the waiting room and as we were talking about the plane hitting the tower, Norbert exclaimed another plane just hit the other tower! and that it was a commercial plane! Fear came over me and immediately I ran to a co workers office and we watched online as those towers burned. I work in a 3 story building and have gone down the stairwell many times. My heart sank as I thought of all the people trying to get down 80 plus flights of stairs, as well as the firefighters trying to get up the stairs to put out the fire. I made calls to my kids and family to make sure all were OK. Watching hours of video and programming on TV that evening of all of the destruction, I just shook my head an cried in disbelief that anyone could do such a horrible thing. Come to find out the ones that carried out the tragedy were all living amongst us here in the US as our neighbors. The next morning listening to all of the coverage on the radio on the way to work, I just cried and was overwhelmed with the fact that my kids and their future children would have to live in the shadow of this attack and the new type of enemy we were facing.
Were we all fearful? yes. Were we prepared to fight the enemy that had come to our shores and attacked us? yes.
Well, finally now after 10 years, we find out that the US special forces found him and killed him. While it is a relief, it will not bring those 3000 people back, and sadly will probably not stop the forces that live to destroy us. However, we must not live in fear, we must remind ourselves to trust the safe harbour that we say we have faith in....our life is in His hands and He will not let the enemy prevail. He is our Safe Harbor.