Making Memories with a Dirty House

Published on Friday, June 26, 2009 by Katherine

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I have no groceries in the house, I have clutter and dust everywhere and I need to go to the pet store.  Last night my daughter spent the night with Grandma – a first time away!  My middle son is at scout camp (sob!) – so it was just me and my 15 year old.  All day I planned how the evening would go.  I would run to the pet store first, then get groceries and finally come home and clean, clean clean. 

But guess what REALLY happened?  I went to the beach.  There are still no groceries in the house, there is still dust everywhere and I still need pet food.  But I went to the beach.  And more importantly, I made a memory. 

My 15 year old’s best friend moved two weeks ago.  Since then he has been a hermit.  There aren’t a lot of kids in the neighborhood and he doesn’t have close friends at school.  I had to get him out of the house and into the fresh air.  And what better way than at the beach. 

On the way home I called him and said hesitantly, (after all, I still have so much work to do!) “You wouldn’t want to race to the beach and surf for an hour, would you?”  “Oh HECK YEA!!!!!”  The deal was sealed. 

I got home, threw on my bathing suit, grabbed some water and crackers and packed a quick bag of towels.  My son put the board in the car and off we went.  The whole way to the beach, a good forty-five minutes, we were saying, “This is crazy! Wow, it’s just us in the car! Can you believe we are doing this?  It is almost 6:00!”  But the healing salt water was calling our names. 

When we got there my boy raced to the water to join the line of early evening surfers.  I went to the right of the pier and slipped into the clear ocean water.  I had no little ones to watch.  My mom wasn’t there to talk to.  It was just the waves, the sand and me.  

Funny, I didn’t know quite what to do at first.  As a mother it is always Go Go Go.  I don’t stop.  Ever.  I literally had to tell myself to shut down, relax, savor, enjoy.  And finally, I did.  I floated on my back looking at the beautiful sky.  I would close my eyes and hold by breath as every other wave washed over me.  Heaven. 

After a beautiful swim I walked to the surfing area and watched my son paddle out, ride, paddle out, bail, paddle out – he was at peace, not thinking about loneliness, not thinking about the pain of teenage-hood – just thinking about when the next good wave will be.  My son later came out of the ocean tired, soaking wet and smiling.  It was a good day. 

On the way home we stopped at a little hole-in-the-wall Italian pizza place.  We rarely get out to eat, and certainly not just the two of us.  Sitting outside on the deck we talked while eating fried calamari, garlic knots and hot wings.  The food was homemade and excellent, but the moment alone with my oldest was simply the best.  

Yes, I still have more work than I can ever imagine sitting in front of me.  Yes, there are no groceries in the house.  But I can still hear the ocean, I can still feel the warm water and I can still see my son dragging his surf board out of the ocean with a tired smile on his face.