Bubbles and The Beach

It has been a week since we lost my father-in-law. From the horrible days preceding his death, trying desperately to get him to the right doctor, the right hospital, and all that, to now, life has stopped in the normal sense of things. But, in a strange way, it has been a new beginning.

I find I mark time...Before he died, and After he died. It is one of those significant milestones, like my mom's death in 1998.

Since his death, my husband has been in the traditional 40 days of mourning, which, among other things, means no t.v. Now, for me, this is no tragedy. I don't really like t.v., anyway, and cancelled the subscription to the cable-giant-conglomerate years ago. I just borrow videos/DVDs from the library weekly for Little Sir 4-Year-Old, and sometimes one for us. But it is quieter without it, and I find we talk a whole lot more. More than we've talked since before we got married...another milestone, by which I mark time. I remember DH and I talking for hours and hours, on the phone, face to face, about absolutely everything...and sometimes just sitting companionably together quietly.

Today, after a loonnng day doing research at Stony Brook, my first real day away from DH and Little Sir, I came home to a hot late afternoon. Little Sir wanted to blow the bubbles we'd bought yesterday, and so we did.

What is it about blowing bubbles, exactly? It is so incredibly relaxing. My dad taught Little Sir to catch the bubbles with the bubble wand, and then re-blow them. Sometimes this makes them into big bobbling bubble-clumps, and sometimes into teeeny tiny singles. Little Sir is always delighted by this, and chases them all over the yard, losing them eventually under the huge maple, or up through its leaves, depending on the wind.

When he'd had enough of the bubbles, it was still early enough to catch a little beach time before the sun set, so we trouped off. At the bay, there was a little tidal pool, just beginning to refill with the incoming tide. In it, we found lots of tiny little bait fish, and one teensy green crab. Little Sir jumped the mini waves, ran through the foam, and wading out waist-deep. It was absolutely delightful. We found a few hermit crabs, tho' not the horseshoes I was looking for. The teacher in me made sure not to miss the opportunity to point out the different types of seaweeds, sea lettuce and eelgrass, and DH just sat and absorbed the peace.

It was one of those Kodak moments...a snapshot of life, that is so infinitely precious. Bubbles and the beach...bring peace.