Normal Life

We went to the beach with friends yesterday and had a great time. This picture was taken at a different beach, with cousins, a couple of weeks ago. I don't want to mislead. It was cloudy and not very warm at first, my kind of beach weather. The beach is right in the city, so it has that hustle, bustle kind of feel to it and lots of traffic noise. It's not relaxing in the way the secluded, beyond-civilization dunes beaches are, but has its relaxing value as well.

NUG has a gathering of homeschoolers at this beach every Friday throughout beach season. This was the first time we've made it and we are glad we did. The kids got to play with friends, I got to hang out and chat with mine. Normal people, you know? Despite the occasional interruption of the cell phone, bringing me back to the crazy world of taking care of my parents, we were able to just be who we are. I felt a bit like a tourist visiting my own life, like I was seeing a little interlude of my community, my village.

But my family has been what it is now for a while - the older generation, middle and younger. For a long time the younger needed the most focus, babies in diapers, nursing, illnesses, etc. Now it's the older generation that needs focus. It wont be long now before Mark and I are the old folks and it will all change again. I guess getting a glimpse of one segment of my life helped me to appreciate the whole cycle.