FAMILY BEACH TIME

To illustrate the passage of time – above is from August 5, 2013

Growing up on Long Island the ocean beach was pretty accessible. Before we had a car, the Rockaway beaches were just a short train ride away. In the years when we didn’t have a car the 10ish minute walk to the Long Island train passed quickly as did the train ride itself which depending on which of the Rockaway beaches we were heading to, was at the most a half hour train ride away. Though I must confess that as a child I thought a half hour train ride was too far from the ocean I loved.

A very special Long island beach was Jones Beach. From where we lived that was only easily accessible by car. And when our family car was up and running that was such a fun place to go.

When Jerry and I were first married we lived in an apartment in Arlington, Virginia – a couple of hours from the Virginia and or Maryland/ Delaware beaches where we liked to spend beach time. A several hours trip to the beach gave me new insight into how fortunate my brothers and I were as kids to live relatively close to such good ocean beaches

Jerry loves the beach as much as I do. When Jerry and I got engaged, it was in a park on the way to the beach. This particular outing was to be beach time with my priestly brother, Bud ( also known as Father Joe and with the passage of time, beloved Uncle Bud) . I was so excited to share with Bud the news of our engagement. And it was equally exciting when we called my parents to give them the news. At first we told them that we wanted to be married in perhaps June of 1961. Then we called them back and changed the date to February 1961 . That date didn’t last long. We soon settled on November of 1960 which was eight months after we first met. When we called my parents to make the change to November 1960 my father confessed his relief that we were dropping the February time. He had checked the almanac and for February 4, 1961 Long Island was forecasted to be inundated by a major snow storm. And that indeed was the case. Where my parents still lived on Long island, where the November wedding actually took place, was hit by a blizzard.

And now with our five grown children married with families of their own we have a tradition of family beach week. For about ten years from the 1970’s to the mid 1980’s we shared ownership of a condo at Sea Colony in Bethany Beach , Delaware with Pete and Louise and their daughters. My mother and her sister and husband also owned a condo in the same complex. We all spent a lot of time at Sea Colony, both in and out of the typical beach season. And the whole family loved it. But after my mother died; and after a drainage pipe was installed at Sea Colony that extended out into the ocean that changed the contour of the ocean floor to the extent that conditions were no longer amazing for wave riding; and with five children who were either in college or soon to start, we decided it was time to sell our place at Sea Colony. That didn’t stop us from going to the ocean – we just didn’t go as often. School and job commitments made that too difficult. And children growing up and pursuing their various life directions affected their availability.

And now as we plan our family beach week, our children’s work schedules, our grandchildren’s schedules and the ocean tide charts all must be taken into consideration. If everyone can come we would have 31. This year we had 26. Even though everyone can not come every year, our gatherings are a total blessing.

The beach is a spiritual experience for me. Normally I seldom miss a once a week church service. It is very important for my inner peace. I don’t feel that way at the ocean. I am moved, comforted and challenged by the ocean – its beauty, its sounds, its bird life, the antics of the dolphins, the inner peace it gives me even on its wildest days.

The only problem with beach week is that it goes by too quickly. Because this year we were there in the beginning of summer, we ended our incredible week with a celebration of Jim’s birthday. We all gathered to serenade him and to eat an amazing peach cobbler – made by Jim . And then Lisa asked the birthday questions. It was a perfect ending to our special week.

Talent night is a unique feature of our gatherings. There is no pressure to perform and not everyone does. But it is so, so special. This year we were treated to the musical talents of the two Jerrys, of Jim, of Quinn and Lane, of Liam, of Lilly. And Alec playing his guitar and singing a song he had written : A Challenge – Face It. Love the inspiration of these words – they are a powerful message to end this blog

And now – July 1, 2024 – as the saying goes ” time flies”