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Magical moment 197, "Seashells and Life"

Today at the Jersey Shore, Eddie and I tried to soak up every ray of sunshine possible, realizing that somehow, the summer is nearly over already.  The water had warmed considerably since our first visit in June when we nearly froze to death. We waded in the shallow end, slowly inching deeper until we finally let the waves wash over our heads as we bounced on our tip-toes and spread our arms out, swaying in the murky water to steady our balance.

After the waves tossed us around to the point of exhaustion, we walked up and down the shore, scanning the sand for seashells. When my friend Deb visited, she took some shells from the shore back to her daughter, Zoey who was enthralled with the tiny objects.  So I decided if I found another pretty one, I would clean it off and send it to her. I was shocked to find that almost every shell was chipped or broken. I had a lot of trouble finding even one that was in good shape.  That was until we got further along the shore.

After a while, my eyes began to focus on the ground that lay just below the ankle deep water. The more I really looked, the more miraculous objects I discovered.  Soon, both of my hands were full, as well as Eddie’s pockets. My goal changed from finding one suitable seashell to send to Zoey, to finding enough to create a necklace. And then something for her brother. And then something for all the other nieces and nephews. (Of course, I don’t know what yet…I’m not really one for arts and crafts.)

It made me realize just how vast goals can become with just a little more experience and knowledge. Just like the more I see of the country, different cultures, and new experiences, the more I broaden my own horizons and expand my ambitions. And the world certainly has more experiences to offer in a lifetime than the Jersey Shore has of seashells. Just think what could happen if we focus our eyes, really see them when they're there, and pick them up.

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