turninglifespaiges

“Love is like the wind, you can’t see it, but you can feel it.”  A Walk to Remember, Nicolas Sparks.

One of my favorite quotes. It always brings me back to standing on the dock at my aunt’s house in Georgia overlooking the coastal waters. My mother and her siblings grew up in that house. It’s right on the water on an inlet that leads out to the ocean.

Being on the beach or on a dock somewhere always takes me back there. My mom’s family spent most of their times out on boats, racing through the waters to a nearby island for a weekend at the beach. It’s one of my favorite memories of growing up. I loved riding on the boats, learning how to tie up to the dock, and just being on the water. I remember looking over at my mom and she had her eyes closed and a smile on her face. She thinks of her dad while she’s out there.

Same expression she had on a midnight walk on St. Pete beach back at home. We were staying at a hotel and we always loved night beach walks. So peaceful, so calming. One night she just stopped in her steps and took a huge breath in.

“I can feel him Paige, it’s like he’s right here,” my mom said. I stopped, turned to face the ocean and felt that same gust of breeze and instant calmness with the waters brushing over my toes on the sand. It’s the most in tune I’ve ever felt with nature. I felt joy, ease, love.

I never met my grandfather. He passed before I was born, but I know what his love feels like. I look out to the ocean and feel my mother when she’s not present with me.

That quote reminds me of all the times on the boats, time with my mom, and all the love that’s shared. A breeze on a beautiful day can stop me in my tracks sometimes. I love being on the water. It’s my place to be.