My happy place.....

I have been in workshops before where they ask you to close your eyes and imagine a place that is peaceful and serene. Somewhere you could go if travel details didn't matter. A place that feeds your soul.

Waimanalo Beach is that place for me.

I always thought of a generic spot near the ocean, usually it looked like a corona commercial.

Not anymore. From now one when I am asked to close my eyes and imagine my happy place, I will know just where to go. I will think about the alley way I walked through to get to the beach. The plumeria blooms covering the ground, the smell intoxicating. I will think of the shade trees and the coconut husks that led the way to the sand. Then I will think of the cliffs to the right, high to the sky. I will think of the trees, the wind, the small, unassuming houses who have this spot for their backyard.

I will remember walking up at sunrise, sitting on a log, next to the mister, watching as moment by moment the sky came alive. And turning around, the mountains, covered in green, reflecting the sun. The waves, the crashing, the sand.

Then I will remember later in the day when my children were laughing in those waves. In that sand. With their grandpa teaching them to use boogie boards and the joy on his face as he shared this little piece of his history with them. The black lab that was letting his owner bury him in the sand. The oatmeal raisin cookies I ate.

I will remember running into the water when my son said "You HAVE to feel these waves, Mom!" The way my knees buckled when a particularly strong wave caught me off guard. The sand that filled my suit as I washed ashore.

The wonder and awe I felt as I looked at the blue of the water, felt the coolness of the breeze and heard the joy of my children.

And I will be happy.