They can ride the waves out.

We made our annual summer trip to Destin this past week. It was a girl trip. My daughter took three of her good friends and two of the moms went as well. The week was one of the most beautiful weeks I have spent on the white sandy beaches during our 23 years of going. The May breeze was still blowing and the ocean was clear like the Maui waters. Our children have grown up on this treasure of God's creation. The excitement of ocean critters, crabbing, deep sea fishing, boogie boarding and sand castle building are simply a given when we head down south. On Wednesday afternoon, a thunderstorm blew in. The rain continued off and on throughout the night, but we awoke to those famous blue skies and sunshine on Thursday morning. My son and daughter have ridden the waves all of their life. With their dad teaching them the techniques of understanding the pulse of the ocean...they are skilled swimmers as well as surfers. On Thursday morning our beach guards put out the red flag meaning NO SWIMMING!!! The riptide was very strong due to the storm from the night before. My daughter was crushed. She wanted so desperately to ride the waves with her boogie board. As the morning passed it became evident the riptide was diminishing and the guards were letting swimmers venture into the water. My daughter grabbed her board and was off with a couple of her friends. I sat in my beach chair watching her fearlessly swim to the first set of waves, excitedly, waiting to catch a big one. Her friends were timid, uncertain. This was not familiar territory for them. My daughter has spent many a hour riding these waves with her brother who is two years older. I can vividly remember a fall break trip, she has a picture on her dresser, when the two of them literally rode the waves from 10 in the morning to 6 at night. I still see their brown bodies with the sun setting in the background and the two boogie boards bouncing in the water. They always have enjoyed the ocean together. As my mind returned to the present, I noticed one of the girls was returning to the beach, she explained the water was too strong and she was slammed into the sand. Spitting salt water, she returned to her beach towel, she was done for the day.The girls were worried about crabs biting them, sharks in the water, jelly fish, seaweed, the list was endless. As my eyes returned to find my daughter's head cutting through the waves, I realized the ocean is a place of freedom, not fear, for our children. They have learned to appreciate the ocean and all it's mystical powers. I hear my daughter laughing as the wave she is riding in comes crashing into the shore. She stops and looks back at me...her smile says it all. She calls to her friends on the shore...they shake their heads. The waves do not offer the same fun for them. Quickly, she turns and swims back to catch the next wave. There isn't a reason to fear....she has learned to respect and appreciate the ocean and all of it's beauty.