New friends on the beach.

I was visiting friends in Rhode Island a couple weeks ago who were participating in a free diving, spearfishing tournament off of Gooseberry Beach. It was a beautiful Sunday morning: sun bright, water calm. I watched them gear up in their wet suits and prepare their spear guns, other equipment and head out onto the ocean in their kayaks. What a site!

Now I would find my place on this intimate, gorgeous beach to relax, take in the sights, and await their return at 2 p.m. It gave me plenty of time to reflect and observe the patterns of the surrounding people. There was the couple to my left in their ’50s who had been there since 7 a.m. when we arrived. You could tell they were there to soak up as much sun as possible, barely spoke to one another, they were together but I sensed they could have easily been alone.

Then along came a younger family of five: three children, two girls and a boy. They quickly came on the beach and plopped down about 10 feet in front of me. They spoke loudly and aggressively toward one another. The dad was in charge and acted like he was done with the whole process already. He was clearly agitated and did not want to be asked one more question from his son who was stuck to him like glue.

They settled in, the girls went straight to the water, mom, dad and boy stayed at their site. However, with no consideration for anyone else sharing the beach on this peaceful Sunday morning, they yelled back and forth to the girls in the water, about 40 yards away, continuously about staying off “the rock.” They thought they were funny and amusing, but they were the only ones who felt that way!

The son asked the dad if he could sit on his lap and the dad snapped back with “No, go play, will you.”

It saddened me to hear those words from a father to a son, especially as I lay there missing my children and wishing they were next to me. He will one day be wishing for the same. Unfortunately that was a rude interruption to my reflecting and peaceful observing. It was now around 10 a.m. and I had plenty of time to spare. I thought to myself, should I relocate? Or, “This too shall pass.”

Then along came three elderly folks who I am guessing were Russian and spoke no English. It was a husband, wife and male best friend. If I had to guess, I’m pretty sure they were in there ’80s. The woman walked with a cane on one side and her adoring husband on the other. Their friend had a cooler in tow with a beach bag and towels. They set up to my right giving the cooler to the woman as a seat, and the men used the towels. It was apparent the woman needed assistance walking in the sand. She was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and cap whereas, the gentlemen were both wearing speedo swimsuits, ready for the water. I felt a feeling of happy compassion from them. They were a tight team, looking after one another. I couldn’t help but watch them and take pictures of them enjoying their time together.

They were a peaceful distraction from the “noisy crew” in front of me. The men would periodically walk down to the water and cool themselves while the woman sat on the cooler and enjoyed the ocean. They had packed lunch and fruit and conversed with one another with smiles and laughter the whole time. They were living in the moment, embracing the day. Several times the men would escort their beloved wife and friend to the water for a short walk along the wet shore then back up to their spot where the sand meets the beach roses and wispy grasses. It made my heart smile.

I decided I would go for a run on the beach in hopes of returning to find the “noisy crew” had packed up for the day. I had a great run, barely anyone was on the beach and I felt great. I strolled back about an hour and a half later to find nothing had changed except for a few more parties of joyful people and pups. I lay down and with the noise from up front still present, I took some deep breaths and shortly thereafter heard them gathering things and heading off the beach. You could see other people watching them depart with relief. I look over at my elderly friends and we all smiled.

The husband had gone to the water and climbed on “the rock” to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. He was smiling, content and happy, as were his wife and friend. I grabbed my phone and walked over to them and asked in hand gesture lingo and a smile if I could take her husband’s picture on “the rock.” They nodded and smiled and were so excited – they were so cute! I went down to the water and the husband began posing, took his hat off, and gave me the biggest smile. It truly was a special moment for me and probably amusing for them as well. On my way back to my spot, I stopped and took some pictures of the wife on the cooler, and she shared a great big smile.

I know this isn’t my typical writing style however, it absolutely demonstrates the power of independence and quality of life as we age. As well as how we treat the ones we love, how you make others feel and how we look after one another.