perfectly perfect

By day's end I realized that the day had been perfect.  Perfectly perfect.  It was not one thing, or even the right combination of things.  It was everything.

The sky.  The sand.  The water.

Cousins.  Always cousins.

Breathing.  Deeply.  Contentedly.

The accomplishment of the high dive.  And going over and over and over again.

Learning a new game.  And winning first place.

Sandcastle building.  And winning first place.

A day that felt like a vacation.  A real vacation (but without the travel and packing.)

A day with many cousins around to lighten the load, and make the deep, contented breathing possible.

Lunch, and later, dinner.  Feasts prepared and brought by my Mama.

The sky and its many colors as hour upon hour passed.

Enjoying the smell of natural water on my skin, in my hair, on all of the kids.

Sand that has smoothed the rough edges, and not just on the bottoms of my feet.

A dock in the deep end to swim to.  Sitting there, talking and laughing with my sister.  I laid down to worship the sun.  Then did back dives off of the side.

Laughter.  And sunscreen.  And watermelon.  And family.  And sky, sand, and water.

Staying until the sun was well into setting.  With kids asleep moments after leaving for home.

Everything summer, perfectly perfect.