A+Place+of+Importance

Waves of My Life

Places I have been taken to during my childhood became the thresholds of comfort as I grew older. Perhaps, the place I cherish most is the one that cannot be held onto for long periods of time, a place no one can own or keep just to themselves. This place is always the same. I cannot change it, but it changes me. The memories created while there have left a lasting impression on me, so much that they have become a part of my soul.

West Dennis Beach on Cape Cod will always hold a piece of my soul. __Some people take pictures every year at Christmas or at the beginning of the school year; our family takes a picture every year at this beach. Beginning when I was just a baby (all the way up to last summer), there is a picture of me at West Dennis Beach.__ Wonderful summer memories captured in the magic of photographs that are incredibly vital to that small part of my inner child.

Each year, I run up the steps of the beach, jump in the hot sand, and feel the sand gently disperse below my feet. //The sun provides soft heat as the steady crash makes beautiful music.// I place my towel on the sand and run to test the water. It always seems warmer than it really is. Perhaps it is warm in my soul, as the memories of the past come rushing back to me. I return to my towel and fall into a light sleep.

I see myself as a baby, refusing to leave, as the sun sets and the cold wind blows against my face. //There were times when all my brother and I did was build sandcastles and tell stories while digging holes to China.// Many times we'd walk across the street and fly kites near the bay. I remember one time my kite disappeared into the night sky, leaving me in tears. I remember every sunset, every fireworks display, but no summer will be like the one I spent with Nana.

We discovered a jetty at the end of the beach that summer. Each day was spent with Nana, lying in the sand, reading books, and enjoying picnics. We watched the sunset because I knew it would be one of the last sunsets we would every have to enjoy together. Last summer, I returned to West Dennis Beach without Nana. She passed away, but on this beach are the memories of some of our best times together.


 * People in our lives come and go, just like the waves of the ocean. Days of childhood are lost with every grain of sand that must be carried on to another beach.** //Sometimes the winds carry our dreams off into the night.// Sandcastles eventually fall down, but I always find the strength to rebuild them. __However, the best thing about this beach is that with every grain of sand, a memory is created which cannot be changed or destroyed - just kept in that special place in my heart.__