Secret Beach

As we walked down looking to explore, Jack said, "Mom. This place could be our secret beach. It looks like no one even knows about it."

But when we got all the way to the water, there was an older couple off to the right sitting in their folding chairs and all of their grandchildren way down the beach off to the right.

And that was it.

We kept to ourselves, just explored, imagined, played, and time passed.

As the grandma began to call for her grandchildren, she came over to talk to me.

She said that they had been coming here for years and had never seen anyone else come. Her husband, retired from the Navy born in Bellevue, and her, a retired teacher, were just talking about how this spot had been such a fun place for them to come with their grandkids every summer for the last 20 years. They had just been talking about how all the kids called it their "Secret Beach," and then our little clan walked down. They chuckled to themselves and said, "So much for our little secret." She said that today would probably be the last time they'd be down for the summer because her grandkids only come for a few weeks each year, and were getting too old to be entertained here. She said that her kids, a girl - boy - girl, have all moved away and it breaks her heart, but she's glad they're all doing so well. She said we will love it here and now are in charge of keeping their secret beach beautiful.

I enjoyed our conversation and couldn't help but think of how many similarities there were in our lives, just in different stages. Possible foreshadowing or just coincidence? I'm not sure.  But, man do I hope that we can enjoy this secret beach as much as they have for the past 20 years.