Summer Waves

I am finally on vacation, a mere three days before I head back to my teaching job.

I didn't have a lot of time (or cash) to travel, so I headed to the beach. I am staying on one of the most unspoiled beaches I have ever seen, Jekyll Island.

Jekyll Island was a remote, island where some of the country's millionaires bought shares of land. The Jekyll Island Club became an exclusive winter retreat for America's most elite families, including the Rockefellers, Morgans, and Pulitzers.

The grand Jekyll Island hotel is a beautifully restored showcase of the gilded age. Walking around the grounds, peeking into the lobby and rocking in a chair on one of the many porches gave me a sense of going back in time. An era of croquet games on the lawn and tea served in the afternoon.

I love to look at all of the "cottages," which are actually small mansions built for the winter visitors. The lace curtains in the windows and the sweeping views of the water are breathtaking.

But, it's the beach that has captivated me most. The island has a lovely sweep of white sand beach that is unspoiled by condos, houses or large hotels. Our hotel is hidden behind a hammock canopy of trees and palm fronds. As you walk through the trees you get a sense of walking through a secret tunnel.

Last evening on our walk, we spied two deer down in the ravine. The young bucks were munching placidly on the green bushes and stared up at us with faint interest.

On the beach the only sound was the waves gently crashing to the shore. As we strolled along the water's edge, I spied a sand dollar half buried in the wet sand. I picked it up and marveled over it's perfect design. Soon we found another and then it seemed as if the sand was covered with perfect sand dollars. From the size of a quarter to the a small saucer we kept finding more.

What fragile creatures. I marveled how each survived the force of the waves crashing into the sand. They are so delicate, and yet there is a strength behind that delicateness.

I am like that sand dollar- tenderhearted to a fault, but infused with an inner resilience that has been strengthened over time. With each swell of the tide, each crashing wave of change, I have become stronger. My beauty revealed in each scratch and scar etched like a pattern on my soul.