[excerpt from Underway, January 14th]
...I wipe the sweat from my brow, clean the tears from my eyes that the salt from my sweating skin had drawn out, and clean any blood from the nicks on top of my skin caused by the preparation to get that boat ready.
I grab the boys, and we head out with our boat for some fun in the sun and get underway...
Island Dreams
When the stress of life accumulates on your shoulders, weighing you down, draining your spirits. Your mind looks for ways to release some of the weight on your weary body. And when you think you've discovered your path to fresh air, the strain of work suddenly compounds the stress, which clouds your field of vision even further. The cloudiness disrupting your internal workings gives your mind that feeling of being unable to catch a break. Which, in turn, brings you down even more.
Getting the boat prepared and in the water is every bit worth my blood, sweat, and tears. Getting on the boat and heading out to my island dreams is my way of shedding the stress and leaving it at the dock as I go for the fresh air and ocean spray.
Once we get underway, we travel on the waves like a surfboard, riding the surf, allowing us to feel uninhibited. It's a freedom that we have grown accustomed to more frequently since we've had the boat.
As we glide over the top of the water on our traveling craft, I set a course for a little island where I can anchor our boat to the beach, disembark like pirates discovering land, and walk around the shore's sandy beach.
My sons seek out the fish that can be seen in the shallow area of a small lagoon. The colorful fish play hide n' seek with my boys as they move in and out of the rocks, trying their best to take shelter from my little boys' prying hands.
The breaking waves, which aren't so menacing, have small white caps that gently slap against Nico and Christopher's tiny body frames, causing them to scream and shout terms of endearment. The sun does its best to beat down on them unmerciful and attack their exposed skin, but their will for fun and sunblock is stronger than what Mother Nature can throw at them because they are fearless, and their youth is king.
The boat canopy provides a long stretch of shade that my sons would trade for the sand and water instead. I sit under my shade in my Captain's Chair. My mind is clear, and the stress is gone, and it allows me to enjoy them. My mind wanders as a smile creeps on my face, and I think about how these kids are mine.
"Damn, I am lucky."
The boys stretch out on the sand as the sun drenches their skin with warmth, and the sunshine from the heavens gently brightens up their day. While they lay down on the ground, the surf from the deep blue sea lightly blankets their tan bodies while they laugh out loud. The waves crash down upon them, pushing them into the wet, mud-like sand. The ocean's roar pushes their laughter my way, begging me to join in.
I jump out of the boat and my comfortable Captain's Chair and land on the sandbar below.
Splash
The cool water invigorates me. The excitement takes over, and I don't waste time to get to their side because the innocence of a child is infectious and compels me to have fun.
I pick up the seashells that have made their way to the safety of land, from where they once were in the ocean's depths, so beachcombers can admire their shapes and colors. And I mischievously show my kids how to skip them across the water and return them to their watery tomb. They will rest until the force of the ocean rolls them back to their final resting place on the beach's face once again.
The boys try to skip the shells but quickly decide to throw them at the tiny birds that outpace the wave's reach, which would be more fun.
"No," I say. "Do not throw the shells at the birds. Okay, now don't throw them at me!"
My guys look at me and smile. There is no place they'd rather be. But the sun and fun make way for hunger pangs that intrude on the day's activities, so it's time to move on.
We pack the boat, head to the public docks, and leave our island dreams behind.
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