Jack vs. The Ocean

While sitting in the beach house today, I realized how much the kids have changed over the past year. It's amazing how quickly the time swept by us... It feels like we were all just down here as a family, oddly it was exactly a year ago.

I found this picture of Jack and Adriana. This was taken the day that we first arrived last year. Jack was absolutely terrified of the ocean. He never warmed up to it... It was really quite sad to us. He hated every part of being near the water. He didn't like the sand, he didn't like the water, heck he didn't even like the fact that I dragged a regular stroller all the way across the dunes just so he wouldn't have to touch any of the beach... He was just unhappy. So very unhappy. It was hard to see him so utterly miserable, while the other kids were really trying to have fun. While we were ALL trying to have fun...

This year was so radically different. When we approached the

beach, I braced myself for yelling, heels to be planted in the sand, and refusal to move. I was greeted with the exact opposite. Jack made a beeline directly for the water... He wanted to touch it, taste it, see it for himself. He dragged anyone that would hold his hand, out into the surf with him. He wanted to be picked up, thrown into and over the waves. It was hard to turn him down, when with every wave crashing down came squeals of laughter and beaming smiles. I swear he would've stayed out there all day long. The surf was rough though, and after we had all taken turns with him, it was time to go in... The other kids liked to play in the more shallow waters, Evan loving to race the waves to shore. Never in a million years did I expect Jack to be so fearless and excited to see the ocean...

Every day, more and more, this child amazes me.

Comments

[Nita]

Just a big smile for you is all. Reading that warms my heart.