Celebrating Sugar Beach

In February of this year, my parents took off on a trip to St. Lucia where they sailed in a catamaran for eight days with my very talented uncle Tom as captain. When they returned, I sat at their feet for the better part of an hour (maybe 2), listening to the stories and watching the picture slide show of their adventures.

I learned how important it is for your anchor to stay where you put it (yikes)! Also, it takes a good deal of skill and can be a bit choppy, but you can sail INTO the wind! If you really want to get somewhere amazing, which in their case was the lovely Sugar Beach, you might have to put up with the rough waters and the sea sickness that goes with it.

They never went on trips like this when we were kids, and as I sit in the midst of raising 6 children, I look forward to the future with hope. I am not mourning, but celebrating, my own yearly passing from the beauty and adventure of youth to beauty of age and wisdom as I hit 39 years this month. Watching my parent "come into their own," I am really looking forward to my sixties!

Photo by Stricker Photography

This past weekend, we celebrated with my parents as they marked forty years of marriage. 32 of us snuggled into my brother's house where we listened to the soundtrack of our childhood (i.e.: Jimmy Buffett music), played cards, watched The Masters and listened to my mom wax on about their "slice of heaven" trip to Augusta for this epic event a couple of years ago. There was plenty of champagne, an abundance of food, and even a concert provided by all 20 of the grandchildren.

My parents had five children in seven years and spent most of my growing up years working as hard as they could to put food on the table and sneakers on our feet. They kept their noses down for a long time and now it feels to me like they are flying. It is inspiring, really. One might even look at the two of them and think, "Man, were they lucky." But when a sailor reaches his destination, it isn't because of luck.

My parents spent many years "sailing into the wind" to get where they are now. We moved 17 times before I was 18. They changed jobs, changed careers, started businesses, and watched some dreams slip from their fingers. They taught us all that the greatest success lies not in never falling, but in rising each time you fall. They also taught us that the easy path leads nowhere you want to go. Good things, like marriage, family, respect, and integrity are hard to get, but the "hard to get" goals are the only goals really worth pursuing. You have to decide to set your sights on them and be ready to put up with the choppy seas you have to cross to get there.

I won't say that it's all smooth sailing from here, but after forty years, I think my parents are experienced enough with "good times and bad times" to navigate whatever the sea has to throw at them. They both think they're about half way to their goal (80 years!) In the meantime, we plan to celebrate every "Sugar Beach" we can, and praise God for the gift of our family and their marriage!

Photo by Stricker Photography