Vacation

Ahhhhh…… the beach.  Nothing is better to me than a simple family beach vacation.  What I love most of all is getting to spend time with my family.  I get to spend time just hanging out with my kids and husband.  It reminds me to appreciate everything I have been given.  Even more, looking out on a beautiful ocean sunrise reminds me of how amazing this world really is!

What did suprise me though was how many parents did NOT play with their kids on the beach.  I saw them reading, laying out on a beach chair, talking to each other or on the phone, or just simply doing nothing but relaxing.   I know why.  It’s because we need a break too.  It is tempting to just sit in a chair and watch the kids play.  However, as I watch my children run up and down the beach, I feel this sense of not wanting to miss a moment of this time.  Time is going by so fast and I know soon my kids will be grown.   In all of this, I discovered a better way to relax.  PLAY on the beach!  Build sandcastles with your kids.  Make a huge castle and small drip castles.  Use shells and sticks for windows and draw bridges etc..  My boys even bring little army men to set up camps and battles.  Jump the waves.  Look for strange sea creatures.  Bury your feet and your kids feet.  See how far you can dig.  And most of all, laugh with your kids.  There are many reasons sand is used in therapy, but one is just simply having your hands touch the earth and move it is therapeutic.  Playing in the sand at the beach is therapeutic.  It does relax you.  It connects you to the earth and your kids.  It reminds you of what is important.  Don’t let it pass you by!  I challenge you to try this on your next vacation and see how relaxed and happy you feel!  To me, it’s better than sitting in a chair any day!