From the Heart

There are some days in life that you know will stay in your memory. They have some how been etched on your soul and your soul feels like it has found a moment in time where you are at peace.
Today was one of those days. We were visiting my son, his wife and our 3 grandchildren. We started out the day by waking up to our grandson climbing in to bed with us and cuddling up and chatting about things that were important to him. He's 7. His name for the sake of this blog is "Budgie." He is delightful! We were soon joined by Bella who is 9. Within seconds, the laughter was filling the bedroom and even though we knew we would probably wake "He" (our son) we risked it and laughed with laughter that came deep from our bellies. Then it was upstairs for tea & toast (the breakfast of "Grannies") and after sitting and chatting over a leisurely cup of tea, we (which included our oldest granddaughter, Zeenee who had finally risen from the bed) were off to downtown Vancouver for lunch at the maybe famous, maybe not "Fat Burgers!" If it isn't famous, it should be. Wow, what a burger! Then the 2 block walk to the beach. The tide was out, the seashells were in and the fun began. "Here's one Gran! Gran, look at this one!" The sound and smell of the ocean, the thrill of finding sea treasures in the sand, the warmth of being with those that you love, the sense of well being in that place deep in your soul.
We then left there and drove to Stanley park and took a walk over to watch the Beluga whales. I stood fascinated as I watched them twirl and dive, listened to them talk and was, as always. a little overwhelmed at the glorious creation of God.
Soon after that, the 7 of us piled into the van to head back home. Full of fresh air, tired out from the walking and filled up with good food, it seemed only right that we should all find a comfy chair, a good cup of tea and close our eyes for a nap.
There really is something special about a day that is filled with the people you love and hold close. Tomorrow we head home again, about 4 hours away and it will probably be a while before we're together again but the pictures are framed in my memory and I will be able to recall them months from now and they will come fully loaded with the smells, the tastes and the wonderful feeling of knowing that you are loved. It just doesn't get much better than that!