A Little More Than Useless: The 30 Day Photo Challenge Day Five

What an incredibly beautiful day God gave us! Sunny, tempatures around 62, not even a chill in the breeze...I wouldn't be opposed to this weather hanging around until summer. We've had our share of snow. Lexi and Kiya enjoyed our extra-long walk today, and I do believe my time in the sunlight might have urged my cold to finally ease up a little. Triathlon is right around the corner and it's hard to train while sick!

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: Day Five

A picture of your favorite memory.

Hmmm. When I saw this, I knew that if I really thought about it, I would spend over an hour narrowing it down. My pile of grad school homework awaits, so I thought it best to just choose amongst the pictures that are available to me. I do have a list of runners-up in the favorite memory category (and by favorite, I'm talking not just "I had a great time" or "I'm so glad I did that" but memories that either changed my life or helped make me the person I am today):

*Papaw pushing me on the swing. This was a frequent occurance throughout much of my childhood. He would push me on the swing he made for me himself that hung from his big oak tree in his backyard. We would talk, laugh, and think together...and it always began with Papaw singing "round and round and round she goes, where she stops, nobody knows!" What a sweet, precious memory to hold onto.

*Mom reading to Stacy and me in bed; this tradition began as soon as I was old enough to sit upright, and it continued I think until adolescence. When Stacy was born, she joined as well. Stacy and I were both very skilled and advanced readers in school thanks to our time reading together, and mom helped instill a love for literature in me so early on.

*Christmas Eve at Mamaw and Papaw R.C.'s. Aunts, uncles, cousins everywhere...mass chaos...fun. Very special and missed, since those times stopped after Papaw died years ago.

*Slumber parties with Trisha; we were both always "older" than our other friends, it seemed, and our time together was spent in deep conversations that I will treasure forever.

*Europe with Megan and Stacy. Hands down, that trip was probably close to the best time of my life. To experience Italy and France (and a little bit of Switzerland) in the way we did is a gift I will never forget.

*Christopher proposing to me, on the beach at twilight...magical.

*Honeymoon (and not for those reasons, people!). There was something so special about that first week we spent together as husband and wife, exploring the beaches of the Dominican Republic, knowing we had nothing but time. I think we both appreciated the fact that we could laze about in the room, watching TV together, knowing that it was ok to fall asleep because one of us wouldn't have to get up and drive home.

*My time spent doing plays and musicals at Theater Bristol from 5th through 8th grade. I loved the theater and I still do, and I will never forget the dreams I had of being an actress.

*Our road trip this summer. Visiting Tommy and Shari and touring D.C. by bike was so amazing, and navigating to and around New York City made me feel accomplished.

But alas, I must choose a picture of my favorite memory. To some, it may seem bland or boring. But for me, it just feels right. Here is the only picture I have available to me of this memory, though I know there are better ones at my parents' house:

This is 6-year-old Shelley, fishing off of a rocky jetty at Blind Pass Beach between Sanibel and Captiva Islands. On day one of this challenge, I wrote about my love for the island and the connection I feel to it. My papaw bought a condo just before I turned 2-years-old, so all of our vacations were spent here. When I was about five, my dad decided I was old enough and big enough to go fishing with him. This was a big deal. He would wake me up long before sunrise. We would drive to the bait and tackle shop where he would buy 50 live, squirmy shrimp (that's what's in the orange and white bucket in the picture). Then, it would take a good thirty minutes to drive the island and make it to Blind Pass. By this time, the sun would be rising...since I fished with dad so many mornings, it's safe to say we witnessed many beautiful sunrises together. Climbing the rocks was dangerous and dad had to help me when I was younger. After finding a good rock to sit on, the fishing began. We would catch ladyfish, red snapper, jacks, snook, and even an occasional stingray. If we were lucky, we would almost certainly see either dolphins or manatees. We would take a breakfast break. To wash my hands, dad would use the windex he kept in the van and paper towels (this memory just made me laugh out loud). Then, to my mother's chagrin, breakfast would be some deliciously sugary dry cereal (think Froot Loops) and sometimes even cookies! Not just any cookies; Keebler Elf rainbow cookies. I guess I should blame dad for my sweet tooth.

As I got older, I enjoyed just fishing in silence next to dad. We didn't need to keep a conversation going. I would relish the feel of the salty breeze and taste it in my mouth. I would closely observe the tiny hermit crabs scurrying to safety as the waves crashed over the rocks. I took in the power and the tenderness of the turquoise gulf; it both terrified and thrilled me all at once. I saw schools of fish speed by as they swam for their lives when the sharks were hungry. I watched as the first few people arrived at the beach; women would spend time sifting through the millions of beautiful shells that washed onto shore in the previous night's storm, and sometimes other dads and their sons would join us on the rocks, casting their lines into the water. I remember always noting that never once did I see a dad out their with his daughter; only with his son.

Obviously, this memory is special to me because of the time I got to spend with my dad. But even so, I think it only gave me extra time to become part of the island. I would always feel like I was one with the water, the sand, the breeze, and the sun...I got to experience nature at its best. I thank God for those times.

Just for fun, since these pictures were on my computer, I thought I would share some more pictures of little Shelley on Sanibel Island (well, there are a few where I'm not so little, but it's ok):