It’s early in the morning. The sun is peering through my bedroom window as it’s slowly making its way over the hill by our family beach house. I’m still tired, but I get up to catch a glimpse of the early summer sunrise, mesmerized by a sight I’ve seen so many times before, but yet a sight that never fails to amaze me. Then I look back to my bed, and snuggled in it are the two people I love the most sleeping soundly with patches of sun shining on their arms and face.
There’s a calm steady breeze that’s carrying the voices of singing birds, rustling leaves and crashing waves. I don’t want to miss the sun or the peacefulness of the morning so I make my way to the top deck. I can smell the ocean and sand in the air. The distinctive smell of summer and the beach is different here than anywhere else. You could blindfold me and drag me here unknowingly, and I’d know exactly where I was by its scent.
I’ve experienced years of sunrises and sunsets at this place. I’ve walked the beaches and ran up the sand dunes hundreds of times. I’ve collected countless pretty shells and weathered rocks. I’ve searched for crabs and swam like a fish in the bay since I was a kid. I’ve curled my toes in the sand and tasted the salty air. I’ve seen the stretch of land that curls around the bay marking the tip of Massachusetts all so many times before. But this time is a first…
This place has witnessed over 60 years of my family’s summer vacations. Generation after generation, we have grown with it. Years of history write a book. So many times I have been here, yet this time is a first. You see, now the sunrises on my family. A sun that used to rise on me as a kid is now shining brightly on the family I’ve built and created. To hear my husband say, “This place is magical.” And to watch my four month old daughter look around here for the first time curious, smiling and taking it all in. This is a place I grew up making summer vacation memories in. But this time, for the very first time I am making memories here with my family. Our first vacation as a family of three and I wouldn’t want to spend it anywhere else.
Still tired I make my way from the stunning views of the top deck back down to my bedroom. My husband and daughter are still sleeping. I smile at a sight even more beautiful than the sunrise, kiss both their faces and crawl back into bed with them and think, “These are the moments I don’t want to miss.”