Monday, December 12, 2011

The Sea. The Sky. The Sonset.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about our family’s jaunt to Jeanette’s Pier to enjoy the sea, the sky, and the sunset.  While we were there, I took one of my favorite pictures of Sarah.

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I took a lot of other pictures that made me happy.
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But those weren’t the only pictures from the evening that I loved.
Shortly after we got there, I happened to see an elderly mom and her son who happened to have arrived about the same time we did.   I couldn’t help but notice them several times over the next few minutes because they seemed to have such a sweet, tender relationship between.  And the more I watched them, the more I missed a certain fella of mine . . .
fam collage
. . . because if there was one thing that is true in this life, it’s that mama’s can miss their kids so badly it actually hurts sometimes.

Anyway, since I had been watching this lovely pair throughout the evening and since they just happened to leave the pier at the same time as we did, I positioned myself nonchalantly behind them so that I could take some pictures of them as they left.
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I have to confess that as I continued to take photos, I had to wipe away tears between each shot because I could so easily picture this same scene being played out thirty years from now--just with different characters.   I could picture Nathan taking me to view the sea, the sky, and the sunset, buying me a little something at the gift shop, and then guiding me gently down the pier back toward the car.  
Me in the sunset of my years.  He in the prime of life. 
The roles between us would be altered by then, with him taking my hand to hold me steady--a mirror image of those long gone years when I was the one grasping a small hand in order to hold my wobbly toddler upright.
So much else will have changed between the now and the then.  The world will be a much different place, maybe even unrecognizable.  Age and passing years will have erased youthfulness from our faces. I will be full of years and Nathan will be full of adulthood, juggling the joys, sorrows and challenges of a family, of a career, of life.  But one thing that won’t change in thirty years will be the love between a mother and a son.
Sunset years. The prime of life.  Hands held.  Joy spoken. Love given.
The sea. The sky. The sonset.

21 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

Nancy said...

so well said becky, I have two sons,(and a daughter that is married)and can't imagine the feeling when they are old enough to leave home (won't be too long, one is 17 the other is 19). sigh.... there really is a special bond between mothers and sons (not to mention daughters too).

nancy irving
toronto, ontario, canada

Rachel said...

Yikes, that made me cry (as your posts often do!). Beautiful observation and story, Becky. :)

Anonymous said...

sob!

love deb

Guerrina said...

Sniffling!

Lizz said...

What a beautiful post! It reminds me of just a little over a week ago when my kids & I were eating lunch with my mother in law and her mom, Oma (as we call her). I thought about that same role reversal scenario between the 2 of them. My MIL was putting a clip in Oma's hair to keep it out of her eyes. And as she gently swept her bangs away from her face I couldn't help but think of the times Oma must have done that for my MIL when she was a young girl. It's times like those when you just get some perspective on life and the changes we all go through. I couldn't help but smile at both of my kiddos who are just growing way too fast and think Wow one day that will be us!

Anonymous said...

Maybe it wasn't a mother and son. Maybe it was a couple with a huge age disparity ;-)

Anonymous said...

Becky,
I always love your posts and am a faithful reader but have to tell you that I hate the orange background. Sometimes it turns white and sometimes it does not. Maybe it's just my computer but can you look into it?
Lisa

Catherine said...

I live in a whole other world where the kids are not off on their own until age 30 for the most part, and not marrying until late either. It boggles my mind that Nathan is married and is the same age as my middle son, whom I consider a kid. Have two who are older and still kids. I 'll truly be old by the time they are on their own two feet! Becky, you won't be in your twilight years until your grandchildren are young men and women. You are still so young.

We are caring for two of the grandmothers who are in their 80's so we do experience the beauty and pain when old and young are in juxapostiion with each other.

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