I Am Reminded

Do you ever have those moments where you stumble onto a long forgotten picture? One that reminds you where you were then and where you are now?

We sat on the beach in San Diego. All my little ones had never seen the beach before. They were immersed in the moment.

And my heart caught hold of watching a dad hold hands with his daughter.

Even now, all these years later, I can vividly remember that day.
There are bonds that will always hold strong through the tide.

And here we are. 11 years later.

A dad and a daughter.

And I'm caught up in the 'here and now' as it tangles with 'way back then'. I'm stuck on the feeling that life used to feel simpler and just a bit sweeter.

Which I know isn't really true. Because time tends to brush away all the hard edges. Life was still life back then. Just as it is now. Just....different.

But underneath all my worries, all my realities I'm trying to avoid, there is love.

Not the Valentine kind of love. But, the hard-won, bound together kind of love. And it has become my foundation for living. Everything else stands sturdy and true on top of it.

All the hard stuff feels easier to bear when it rests on that kind of foundation.

So today, as I rest my weary hope inside my ever present, I remember these beautiful gifts that I've been given. These people that bless my life with their love. The kind that tides won't ever wash away.