I remember days like this from when I was younger. I spent day after day at the beach with my cousins. We would spend hours hunting for crabs in a large rocky section of the beach in the town I grew up in.
We would build crab hospitals - we would search in the tide pools for the perfect location. We would lift up the rocks and hope for the movement of the water underneath - a sign that a crab was burying itself further in the sand. As if that would stop our young hands from grabbing it.
When we got one we would keep it in the tide pool and we would feed the little fella mussels that we would smash open with rocks.
I can still remember the feeling of the rocks on my feet. The excitement of walking out on the rocks and the slight fear as I wobbled on a seaweed rock. Gripping the rock with my feet to keep steady and avoid a fall. The anticipation of lifting - almost prying up the rock - and looking for the perfect crab. The joy of calling out to the cousins that we found one.
My kids are at the "crab hunter" stage. They get as excited now as I did when I was younger to find and pick up the perfect crab.
And though we go to a different beach now, they have found "their rocks" - they have found their special place of building castles, searching for crabs, and enjoying the ocean. I still get excited when I hear them call. I almost feel that Melissa or Ricky, my cousins, will pop up to see for themselves and join in on the fun.
In a few weeks we will have that joy. The next generation of cousins will be in town to celebrate our cousin's wedding. We will hopefully have a day at the beach - and our kids will share great times together just like the joy and fun the older set shared.
I look forward to laughing and sharing our stories. And I am happy they will have the chance to build their own "cousin stories" as I know first-hand how important they are and how much they fill your soul.
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