Whenever we snorkel down south I am always amazed at the world underwater that exists. It always gives me a sense of that there is so much that goes on below and above the world for which we are mainly unaware. A whole new perspective than on land.
I remember utterly having this feeling when we first took
our boat out on the big lake near our home. That our whole community all the
sudden seen from a completely different view and perspective. There was a world
beyond the one we saw everyday right outside our door it seemed.
Snorkelling is always a wonderful feeling for me and
today did not disappoint. We went on an excursion with Pop and Licky and had a
blast. It kinda felt like Spring break for old people! We were all singing with
the music high and diving and jumping
off the top of the boat. Was super cool. My husband gets into these things a
lot more than I do too so is fun (and weird!) to see this side of him emerge. I
become an introvert and he the extrovert at stuff like this…..it’s always interesting
for me to see this side of him. I am always left a bit in awe.
I love the lightness of snorkelling and how light and
airy my body feels doing it. Brings me back to my teenage years when I felt my
body was a machine. Capable of anything. Strong-light and muscular. When I snorkel
I feel so light and petite and weightless. I think of my daughter and how good
it must feel to be so powerful and athletic and slim and young. To be a feather dancing in the
wind. Aww ..the good old days! And living through my daughter to recapture some
of this youth too (now I sound really old!() (Good thing today is three people
on the boat couple not believe I had three teens –they thought I was much
youngerJ))
Must have had something to do with my tan and sparkly headbands down here. Whenever
I am not dressed up and have no makeup people think I am younger-got to try
this look at work!
Anyways it was a great excursion. At one point everyone
was snorkelling and then started pointing my way and swimming towards me. I look
down underwater with my mask and my bikini tip was falling off and I had a half
exposed boob! I could not believe how rude these people were making such a spectacle
of this!!! Until I realised that there was a big barracuda behind me and that
my boob was of little interest!!!!! This was soooooo funny. I silently laughed
about it for hours in my head. And I totally started screaming about the
Baracuda and asking my husband why the F….. people were swimming towards it and
not away from it!
I love seeing all the starfish and zebra fish and colorful
tropical fish. Makes me anticipate the fish we will buy Beauty when we are
back. Her first pet. Ok ..stop laughing now ok? We have to start somewhere and
this is where is begins..with a little fish.
We also excitedly called home tonight and loved taking to
the kids and my Mom for over 40 minutes since long distance is free here. May
sound weird to many but we purposefully don’t call home for the first 6 days.
We have done this in the past 5 yrs. It is good for us to completely disconnec
for the first week, but in our opinion even better for the kids. Allow them to
fully be present in the amazing experiences they have with my Mom during this
time. To do it a different way and emerge themselves in that experience. Get
out of our normal routine and do some serious bonding with their beloved Didi.
And experience another world. Like the one we did today snorkelling.
I love the grandparent role. In the book I am reading
about marriage and families having very involved grandparents is also another
success factor of marriage. I totally agree. My mom has totally enhanced ours..and
also the lives of our children. They are home with her now and have their
routine going. A movie every night together…special dinners. Special treats. I
love this. The kids said she is great entertainment. I miss living with my
Mommy-she is the absolute best. Sometimes I wish I were a kid again…it was so
fun to be me and her.
And I am soooo the type of person that does not interfere
when she watches the kids. She does it her way and I adore this. There are no
rules imposed of what to do and how to do it. Watch what you wisho wish-stay up
as late as works for you, eat what you want. Do it your way and this is what
the kids treasure. I remember when my Grampa was alive he would swear and say “Jesus
Chrust!” all the time in front of the kids. I did not try to correct this for
the sake of my young children…I embraced this accepted this side of him (along
with all his soft sides too) and to this day when we think of him we all shout
out “Jesus Christ!” Grandparents to me are the biggest gift on earth. I can
only hope that we are half the grandparents my Mom is and that my Grampy was. Beautiful
beautiful people. And Hubby’s Dad too….telling our kids how to eat and sit and
act. Love it all.
The fish world underneath the sea made me realise how
much we don’t see in life. How much there is to learn. How the world of others
are often unexposed to us. A word…a question. A behavior may have so much more underneath
than what we see at face value. Get curious. Ask questions. Seek to understand before
being understood. There is so much there to uncover. Put your mask and
breathing tube on and ….dive..far far down.
Man is this world plentiful isn’t it.
I feel like a million bucks right now having spoken to
our three children. All sounded happy, safe, and well. My Mom said they were
all healthy and helpful and at ease. So are we. And each had such a great conversation
with us-I miss them-I miss hanging out with them. Can’t wait to get home and
watch “We are the Millers” with them. Bought it here and it is soooooooo funny
(bit too volatile probably for a PG but still too funny to miss). I loved how
Chase is so proud of his marks (OMG something amazing is happening to him this
semester-can’t wait to post more about it) And Bear asking us about our trip in
detail and Beauty just being sweet Beauty.
I love it here and I love it back home. Life is very good
and I feel blessed
And I am comforted to know that beneath and above this
world that I love is even more to discover.
That any time I want to dive deeper the world is my
oyster.
