The Joy Narratives Resurrected

For those of you who have been following the blog for a while, you might remember a period a while back where I dedicated writing about the things I love.  I was in a lull, a low point, and I find myself in a similar place now.  The same people who remember the Joy Narratives will also be the ones who have noted that I haven't posted in a while.  For me, these silences are usually a sign of something else.  So, in an effort to restart the engine, I bring you day 1 of the Joy Narratives Resurrected.

I was at the beach last weekend.  It was a promised getaway for my mother.  My brothers and I had promised her a weekend away last year and we finally delivered.  We packed up our families, picked up our mom, and made our way to Pacific City.  The whole weekend was a wonder, but there was one segment of the whole weekend that really made me feel good.

It was Saturday, late morning.  Kevin and his family had already gone down to the beach.  Kerry had made his way as well.  My mother and I walked Shea down the steep dunes until we found them all playing in the sand in front of the housing development where we were staying.  My nephew Connor was on the phone with his girlfriend, writing "Cassie loves Connor" in the sand.  Nicole, his little sister, rolled her eyes at him as I walked by. 

Kevin, Kerry, and Kay were throwing the Frisbee along the flats of the beach.  Shea and Nicole set about digging a hole in the sand dune with my mother.  Shea was over the moon to be playing with Nicole.  She worships her older cousin.  My mother nestled down in the sand next to the girls and helped them dig.  From where she was sitting, she could see her grandkids and all her boys. 

We played Frisbee.  That's it.  That's my joyful moment.  I played Frisbee on the beach with my brothers.  The sun was out and I wound up dropping my fleece in the sand because it was so warm.  My daughter was happy and content with her cousins and her grandma, and I was happy and content to be playing a game with my brothers.

The whole weekend carried on like that.  We worked on a puzzle, we played cards, we sat at the same casino table and played Blackjack together.  We ate meals together and played Apples to Apples.  There was no drama or excitement beyond the fact that we were together.  I relaxed, laughed, ate, drank, and was really and truly happy.