sunset – Sew Beach Life

Capture The Moment

Have you ever witnessed a moment that seems so sweet that you feel like it should be captured in a photograph? Watching children play, and seeing their pure joy is a frequent occurrence that leads to the thought that you wish you had a camera to catch the expression on their face. Especially if it has been a hard or challenging day or season in life. Seeing happiness makes us want to smile and join in on the fun.

Dan and I were walking the beach last night, and moving at a rather quick pace, since sunset was less than a half hour away when we started our walk. We passed other walkers, joggers, and people sitting or lounging on the sand, waiting to watch the sun set. We were strolling past a couple that looked to be in their late 20’s to early 30’s sitting on the beach. The wife leaned in to say something, the husband smiled, and they leaned together touching cheeks, smiling towards the sun.

It was such a sweet moment that I stopped walking, turned to them and said, “Where’s your camera? You two just look so sweet!” The wife reached into her pocket, set her phone to camera mode and handed it to me. I took a couple of quick photos of their faces shining in the sun, glowing with happiness, and handed back the phone.

I am not normally the type of person who randomly starts a conversation with strangers. Dan, yes. Me? Not so much. But I just couldn’t help thinking that this young couple would want that moment of sweetness and sunshine captured. Before you think that I am too much of a weirdo asking someone for their phone, keep in mind that tourist season has started in Florida. On sunny days, the beaches are full of visitors, enjoying the warmth, wonder, and beauty along the coast. It is not uncommon to have a couple or group ask a walker passing by to take their photo. And when I’ve seen a Mom or Grandma taking photos of their group, I’ve encouraged them to get in the photo and taken a few quick shots for them.

I recall my daughter telling me about when their little family was playing at a splash pad, and someone commented that they and Lila were having so much fun that their family needed to be captured in a photo. The stranger caught the huge smiles on their faces as they played together. It is a great photograph.

I love being able to capture a moment of happiness for someone, just like I’ve captured it in my mind. Hopefully, every time they look at the photos, they’ll remember the fun, the happiness, the joy, they were feeling at that moment.

Dan recently sent me a photo he took when we were visiting for Lila’s 2nd birthday. We had taken Lila to the park, and she is flying high on the swing, her hair flying up in the air as she achieves weightlessness.

I love seeing her enjoy a happy, carefree childhood, filled with love and laughter. It makes me smile every time I look at it, because it reminds me of how fun she is to play and interact with. And it reminds me of all the times I’ve been on a swing and enjoyed that same feeling of floating while up in the air.

I’m certainly not advocating for life to be lived with a phone or camera in front of your face all the time. There’s definitely something to be said about just savoring life, and capturing the beautiful moments in your minds’ eye. Life is rarely Instagram perfect, and involves a lot of “cropping out” the not so pretty stuff. But when we take the time to look around, look for the beautiful, joyous, happy, peaceful, spontaneously wonderful moments around us, we can capture memories to help sustain us during the not so perfect moments in life. And if we can capture those moments for others, why not risk being thought of as a weirdo when you ask someone for their phone? 🙂

By all means just enjoy the power-walk, breathing in the fresh air, listening to the sounds around you. But every once in a while you might want to stop and take a photo of the beautiful spaces, and faces, and wonders in life.

What Are You Thankful For?

We all have troubles, and things that worry us: physical limitations and health scares; jobs (or lack thereof) and money issues; and any number of situations and problems among our families and friends. But don’t let that become the focus of your life.

Focus instead on the wonderful things in life, the things that you are grateful for, the things that make you happy. I am thankful for my faith. Unbelievably thankful! Even when there are struggles, and bad situations, it calms me to know that in the end it will all be ok. I don’t have to worry, it is in God’s hands. And I am constantly reminded of the goodness in life.

I can see my neighbors flag flapping in the breeze, amidst the palm trees as the sun rises this morning. And I know that despite any political or partisan bickering and nonsense, that I am blessed to live in the greatest country in the world.

As I reminisce about my nephew David’s wedding a couple of weeks ago, I am grateful for my family. We all flew in from Florida, Colorado, and Tennessee, or drove across the state of Michigan to meet up and celebrate the marriage, and to welcome Caitlin into our family. It was so much fun to spend time with people I love, to laugh and be silly! Photo booths are designed to bring out the silliness, so you should just embrace it and have fun (which we obviously did!)

I am grateful for my sweet husband, and our unconditional love. For his good heart, his strength, and all his “handyman” skills. For his willingness to dive in, work hard, and get things done. Even after years of working together to turn our old “fixer upper” into a beautiful home, he wasn’t phased by the idea of tearing down a non-load bearing wall in our new “fixer upper” home to open up the kitchen. Of course this means we’re living in a bit of a construction zone. And since we don’t have the money to replace the flooring throughout our house, we’ll be living with a holey floor for the foreseeable future. But that’s ok. We have a roof over our heads, and each other!

I am thankful for my parents instilling me with a strong work ethic. I am grateful for the blessings of intelligence, for the creativity and sewing talents God chose to give me.

I am so grateful for my beautiful, wonderful children, and their spouse and fiancée. I love seeing my children happy and blessed with people that they love. And I’m so, so happy that my daughter and son-in-law brought the blessing of Lila into our lives. This sweet granddaughter of ours is such a joy! When we FaceTime, it’s so cute to hear her ask “Where’s Grandpa?” if he’s not nearby when I answer my phone. She loves to have you sing nursery rhymes over, and over, and over again. It’s so fun to hear her giggle and belly laugh uproariously when we do “This little piggy” for the twentieth time. And to hear her sweet little voice ask for “A, B, C!” so that she can (try to) sing the alphabet with me. I love her quick hugs, and slobbery “smooches”, and to hear her say “I love you” back to me. She fills our hearts with joy, and I am so grateful for every moment that we get to spend with her, whether it’s running in circles around the hotel, or last minute snuggles before we checked out.

Do you let the wonder and curiosity and joy of playing and running in circles into your life? Do you appreciate the awesome beauty of the world around you? Do you pray and place your troubles in God’s hands? Do you feed your faith by attending Mass, reading The Bible, and living a prayer-filled and grateful life? God, gratitude, and happiness go hand-in-hand. Open your heart, cast your troubles upon Him, and live!

The Positive Side

Sometimes when Dan and I go for a sunset walk, we know that we’re unlikely to see a pretty sunset. It may be an overcast cloudy day, or the skies are just gray and misty looking. Sometimes there is a large bank of clouds blanketing the horizon, so you know that the sun is unlikely to make an appearance.

That doesn’t stop us from walking, feeling the breeze on our skin, enjoying the sound of the waves, and breathing in the fresh salt air. It is therapeutic to walk out in nature, to absorb the beauty of God’s creation. Occasionally we’ll feel the need to quicken our pace, to hurry and try to “beat” an approaching rain shower.

We usually make it home long before the rain hits. Once in a while we are treated to a little shower when we have gotten too far from the park entrance and can’t make it back in time. Sometimes we’re pleasantly surprised when the sun peeks out or drops below a bank of clouds and we actually get to see the sun set.

When the world seems to be swirling around you, and you feel a bit overwhelmed, where do you turn? Are you grounded in your faith? Do you know, honestly know and trust that it will all be ok because God really is in control? It can be hard to do, because we like being in control, feeling like we have power over our world. And we do, because of free will. We choose the paths we take and are responsible for the consequences of our actions. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have faith, and trust and lean on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, to help and guide us. It’s more that when we feel overwhelmed that we do turn to God as our first line of help and support.

It can seem easier to turn toward the world, to hear that it’s not our fault, to “drown our sorrows” in unhealthy ways, be they alcohol, drugs, bad and dependent relationships, or whatever other source of fleeting pleasure, yet long-term sorrow or pain that we burden ourselves with. Know that you can always change. You can always open your heart, and let God in. There is always room for healing, for forgiveness, for moving forward into the light. You can let go of the burdens that you’ve been trying to carry on your own. They really do become lighter when they are shared.

Open your heart, listen, and pray. Look for the light and the beautiful sunsets. God is always there, always waiting and calling out for you.

What Would You Do?

We All Have A Choice

My husband and I were heading out for a walk late yesterday afternoon, when we found a wallet at a crosswalk. We had already pushed the button for the flashing lights, and traffic had stopped, so we quickly walked across the street. I said “Let’s see if there is any ID or a phone number inside so that we can contact the owner.” We checked the wallet, but there was no identification, and no business or credit cards. Just a few faded out receipts and some cash.

We live in a neighborhood of mostly mature population, (in other words, older people). 😉 People are very active, with a pretty steady stream of bicyclists, walkers, and runners. You sometimes see people pushing a stroller, (and I don’t know what it is with this phenomena), but there can as likely be a dog in the stroller, as a child. I had never seen a dog stroller until we moved to Florida, but apparently it is a thing! I thought the whole point of taking your dog for a walk was to let your pet walk. I also see people “walking” two dogs, and frequently they will stop, pick up, and carry one of the dogs. I have a cat, so perhaps I just don’t “get” the dog life! But I digress.

Since there were some larger bills in the wallet, it’s quite likely that the wallet belongs to a local in the neighborhood. I’ve noticed and heard my children and others of their generation comment that they don’t carry cash. They just use their debit card. Since most people use direct deposit, it is indeed easier to just use a debit card than it is to go to the bank, and withdraw cash. Which leads us to believe that the wallet belongs to an older person who prefers using cash.

We tried to think of the best way to try and return the wallet to its owner. There is usually someone from the Sheriff’s Office up at the City Hall Building. I think they may have an office there? Since it was evening, City Hall was already closed for the night. Our neighborhood is on the NextDoor app, so my husband posted it on the app. Hopefully the owner makes contact soon, and if not, we will take it up to the police.

I was thinking about it, and wondered how many people would try to return a wallet, and how many people would just pocket the cash and toss the wallet. I think that most people are basically honest and good, and would try to find the rightful owner. Maybe I am a Pollyanna and see the world through rose colored glasses? I am sure that there are many places in this country and the world where the cash would be quickly pocketed and spent without a second thought. But the wallet doesn’t belong to us, so we didn’t even consider keeping it.

Is it just our faith that sets us apart? I know that faith calls us to be virtuous, to not lie, or cheat, or steal. God blesses us with a conscience, and hopefully our parents raise us in faith, to teach us to understand right from wrong, and kindness, thoughtfulness and charity. We live in the world, but don’t have to be of the world. People of faith are different. We are still subject to the temptations of the evil one, but with the grace of God, we choose to not fall into the temptation. We sometime fail, and sin. Thankfully, we have the sacrament of confession to rid of us our sins, and bring us back into grace.

When we think about the fact that God loves us, and Jesus died for us, hopefully it is easier to choose love and goodness over temptation. What do you choose?

Welcome 2019

The sun has set on 2018 and 2019 is here. Many people make resolutions of things they want to change or accomplish in the new year. I remember celebrating New Year’s Eve at our brother and sister-in-laws home maybe 25 years ago when we all wrote our resolutions on a piece of paper, and put them in a shoebox. Our sister-in-law put the box up on top of the china cabinet and said we should read them in a year. I don’t recall if that’s what we did, but I do remember that my resolution was for us to buy a house.

It’s fun to recall memories of time spent with people we love. It may or may not be so pleasant to recall the events of the past year. Perhaps we have lost someone we care about, or lost a job, had a health scare, or aren’t happy with our current situation in life. We have little or no control over some of these things, but we can work and make changes to help with others. Everyone knows that they should eat healthier, and probably need to exercise more. Taking a different perspective, improving our attitude, and putting in the hard work that is necessary can help us to change things.

One thing though that should be a constant in our lives is increasing our faith and reliance on God. That may not be a particularly “cool” thing to do in today’s society, where popular culture tells us that even if God is real, we don’t really need Him. You might think that too. But what do you do when things are tough? Who do you rely on? Who do you thank when things are good and life seems to be going well?

I can tell you that I have faced hard things in life, the deaths of my Dad and all of my grandparents. The unexpected and shocking death of our 35 year old niece comes to mind. Like nearly everyone, we have faced financial challenges, health concerns, and dealt with all the normal problems and issues that arise in life. But the problems have not overtaken me, because I have faith. Sometimes it seems so hard to put it in God’s hands. We like to try to control everything. (Insert sound effect of a buzzer here, eeeee!) Nope! We can’t! I have peace of mind because of my faith in God, in Jesus. No matter how insurmountable our problems may seem, it will all work out in the end.

If you feel like you’ve lost your faith, or don’t think that you’ve ever had it, I invite you to open your heart. God does not demand faith. He doesn’t push His way into your life. He knocks on the door and waits to be invited in. That tiny little spark of desire in your heart? Feed it! Read the Bible, go to Mass, visit a church, pray, and talk to God. Nourish your soul.

Go ahead and make your resolutions to workout, go to the gym, eat healthier, lose weight, etc. But you can accomplish so much more and live a calmer, happier life by increasing your faith. I challenge you to truly open your heart to God. Invite Him into your life. Put your troubles, problems, and desires in His hands. Trust Him, talk to Him, and let peace and joy enter your life.

The sun has set on 2018, and 2019 is here. Let the new calendar year be the beginning of a better year with the peace of Christ in your heart.

A Thankful Heart

What Are You Thankful For?

On this day of giving thanks, it’s not uncommon to reflect on what you are thankful for. Some families have the tradition of everyone at the dinner table taking turns sharing something that they appreciate. I am very grateful for the people and experiences in my life. Even when everything is not exactly how you wish it could be, life is still so wonderful!

For instance, this is the first Thanksgiving that we won’t have either of our children at the dinner table with us. For the last seven years or so, we have spent Thanksgiving in Tennessee with our daughter and son-in-law and his Mom (and Dad, until his passing). This year, with the drive being a bit too long to be practical, and flights not working out with Dan’s work schedule, our plans changed. Our son and his fiancée are out of town for a well-deserved weekend vacation. So I am grateful that we took them and my Mom (who was visiting us) out to dinner last weekend.

I am thankful that our niece and her family are hosting an extended family Thanksgiving at their home today. Dan will enjoy the crazy brother bonding time that he doesn’t get to have often enough. We will be spending time with people we love. There will be laughter and giggles, food and fun, silliness and seriousness, selfies and photos galore. We’ll all end up tired, (and perhaps a bit frazzled!) from the noise and inevitable chaos. But our bellies and hearts will be full after spending time together.

So what else am I thankful for? I am so grateful for my faith! Christ has sustained me and my family, and my life is so good because of it. I think it’s obvious that my family is super important to me! My husband is my rock, my true love and my best friend.

We have wonderful children (including their significant others) and a granddaughter who brings joy and light into our hearts. I am also appreciative of every beautiful sunrise and sunset that I am blessed to see in this wonderful, sunny paradise where I live. The roar and crash of the waves, the gentle breeze, and the soft sand under my toes as I walk near the ocean bring me peace and joy.

I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful Happy Thanksgiving! Take a minute to reflect and please let me know what you are thankful for.

Beauty and Wonder

Look for the light

Sunset walks on the beach are my favorite. Although people frequently come out to enjoy the show, we sometimes find ourselves on a nearly deserted beach. As I walk I often contemplate the beauty and wonder around me. It’s hard not to with this scenery, right? God gives us sunsets, day after day. Do we always take the time to look at the sky and appreciate them? Of course not. Life is busy, it’s not always convenient, it might be raining, the sky is overcast and you can’t see the sun, the list goes on.

But the sunset is constant, it happens every day. It is like God’s love for us. It’s there, it’s constant, but sometimes we just don’t see it. We get busy, we don’t take the time, the clouds of grief or anger seem to hide it, or we let a bad experience or another persons point of view keep us from looking.

Sometimes we might feel like we’re standing alone in the world, in society. And that’s okay, because in reality, we’re not. There are others like us, people of faith, who believe in God’s goodness and love. We may not be the loudest voices in the chatter of the daily stream of information flooding the airwaves, but we stand strong in our faith.

God gives us constant reminders that He is there. Looking up at the sky after a rain, with thunder still grumbling in the background, Dan and I saw a beautiful double rainbow. It’s a reminder that although we might be showered with problems, and the voices of discontent are grumbling in the periphery of our lives, there is pure shining light in the world.

Am I looking at the thunderclouds and worrying about the storm, or am I looking toward the light and appreciating the beauty and wonder?