the Joy

the Joy

of parenthood

is reliving 

the Joy

the memories

of childhood 

 

as they get older

each year

each season

each month

each moment

is more and more

Joyful

 

 

 

Beaver Island

a State Park

a local site

a small beach

was Joyful

as a child

 

I remember

Summers

several Summers

looking forward

to days at the beach

Beaver Island

 

I remember

the parking lot

hot and hazy

the pathways

shaded and cool

the boardwalk

wooden and noisey

the smell

sunscreen and moisture

the sounds

waves lapping children laughing

life guard whistles blowing

the feel

dry sand damp sand wet sand

hot sun on my skin

wind breezes blowing

 

 

I remember

year after year

growing up

with this beach

my mom and I

always

Joyful memories

fun family photos

one year

my best friend and I

as sweet sixteens

drove there on our own

strictly to work on

our tans, of course

laid out for hours

hot tired and ready 

to go home

got in her car

and it would NOT start

frantically calling 

her dad

and a tow truck

riding all the way home

sharing shot gun

in the front cab

with creepy tow truck guy

in bikinis and short shorts

ohhh Beaver Island

 

all this and more

came back to me

with this first visit

with them

now I will remember

the packing

the schlepping

the cooler

the beach towels

the beach umbrella

the beach chairs

the beach toys

the bathing suits

the sun screen

the bathrooms

and

the Joy

 

now I am not

along for the ride

I am creating 

the ride

the memory

for them

and all the work

that was done 

for me

is now being done

for them

 

and as gritty

as wet bathing suits

and sand can be

as gritty as 

parenthood can be

it is all worth it

for the Joy

we have spent
much of this week
much of this Summer
in bathing suits
it has been HOT
like heat wave hot
and now I remember
why we need
more than one
or even more than two
bathing suits

hot Summer
means wet water
everyday all day
wet suits
wet towels
wet clothes
are drying and littered
around our home
and I love it

we went to
water the flowers
the other night
and we ended up
watering everything
but the flowers
he sprayed the hose
she sprayed the hose
I sprayed the hose
and we were all
soaked head to toe
in our clothes
the Joy

this year
they really love
the water
for me, as a kid
a splash pad
was a cement pad that
caved toward the center
and in the middle
was a large cement cylindar
that sprayed water
in one circular
and constant pattern
only during a certain time
on only the hottest of days

nowadays

and I do feel old

very old using that word

nowadays

a splash pad is practically

a mini water theme park

but oh just look

look at this
JOY

too much fun
and very different
from last year's
splash pad exposure
she was hilarious
dipping various parts
a leg an arm
her hair her face
into the streams
of spraying water
when it would
get to be too much
she would run
to the towel for
a quick swipe
and then back at it
again...
the Joy

 





he had just as much
fun, but he also likes
his down time
aka. momma's lap
and so do I
rare is the moment
when this bare
beautiful face
is looking up at me
I had to capture
this Joy

enJOY the Joy