no shoes, no shirt, no problems...

that pretty much sums up my vacation. on vacation i spend 90% of my day in a bathing suit and bare feet; the other 10% in a tank top and flip flops. i stay outdoors as much as i can; as long as i can. mornings are mostly spent on the beach. i love looking out at the ocean. i could stare at it for hours. it is my heaven on earth. i will walk the beach for miles. i never wear earphones. i love to hear the sound of the waves and wind. it is my music. i love to feel the warmth of the sun on my face. i feel close to god. i love to listen to the children laughing as the waves wash up on their little toes. it makes me smile. i feel their joy. i love the smell of sunscreen. i love riding the waves with my kids. i even love the sand. i spend a lot of the afternoon napping under the gazebo at the pool. the sound of kids playing and water splashing grows fainter with every blink of my eyes; every blink taking me further into dreamland. the ocean air clears my head and i never feel so relaxed. after dinner i walk the beach one more time; breathing it in slowly. i end every evening sitting on the dock overlooking the inlet reading, watching the sunset and talking to god. i love our long conversations. i hear him clearly. i have peace.
vacation is over. time to go home. time to get dressed. it's back to life as i know it. back to the stresses. back to work. back to the distractions. but i come back rested, refreshed and ready. ready to face the problems that await. ready to move forward on the path god has for me. ready for the choices i have to make. i am ready to embrace whatever the future holds...
fully clothed and worry free.