Life is like an ocean
Ages ago we moved from Illinois to Oregon because we were drawn to the Pacific Ocean. After studying in Corvallis we ended up moving to Portland, where we started a family.
When our kids were little we would pack them in the car and drive to Cannon Beach. Their cold, little hands would pick up pieces of sand dollars and bits of shells from the surf and they would put them in their plastic buckets. During winter months they would don colorful raincoats and rubber boots, happily running on the beach, braving the stinging wind and the rain. At the end of the day we would drive home in a van that smelled like the sea, filled with sandy, tired children and all of their treasures.
As they got older we would look for long sticks and draw words and pictures in the sand. We would discover sea anemones and starfish in the pristine tide pools at Haystack Rock. Elaborate sand castles adorned with feathers and rocks were built in the summer and we would look for agates at low tide. Often times as we would leave town we would buy salt water taffy, each of us picking our favorite flavor.
Time went by and our family with three teenagers would enjoy throwing frisbees on the beach and playing epic card games until 3am on stormy nights. Long walks and conversations kept us coming back. Every time we would return from the beach we would bring home memories of good times spent together, and more photos to fill our albums.
Just like the ebb and the flow of the sea, life keeps changing. Our children are adults living their own lives and we see Cannon Beach through different eyes. After decades of marriage we reminisce about the precious times we’ve spent here together as a family, but the two of us enjoy campfires on the sand as the sun sets, long bike rides and walks on the beach, and quiet conversations. This place continues to be our favorite location to restore our souls.
We are happy to look forward to a time when Cannon Beach can continue the circle of life, with our children and their partners, and perhaps we’ll have the opportunity to show grand children the magic of a place we love so much.
Photo November, 2018. Haystack Rock in the distance.
