Twenty-Four Hours

If you ever wonder what family is about,

let me sit down and tell you a story.

It's about 

twenty-four hours

spent at the beach

with your family.

It's about

running up a tiny set of stairs

holding a two year old's hand

and then going down a slide in front of him

to catch first his truck

and then him

as they zip down the slide.

And then doing it twenty more times.

It's about his mom saying

"You really don't have to do this," again and again

and shaking your head and saying "We're having fun."

It's about going on a bike ride

with a six year old

and watching strangers throw back the too-small crabs

and having her coach you on how to ride a bike

even though "I've ridden a bike before." has been said

three times already.

It's about sitting down in camping chairs with an eight year old

holding a library's copy of a Magic Tree House book

and reading the whole thing aloud to him

in just one sitting.

It's about chasing that two year old down the beach

and holding his shoes when he drops them

and holding that six year old's hand

as you jump the waves with her

and hunting for sea glass

with the eight year old.

It's about cartwheels in the sand

and talks about books late into the night

while sitting by a fire.

If you ever wonder what family is about,

it's about doing what is not asked of you

just because you want to.

{Sorry for the not-so-great quality. I accidentally left my camera at home, and only had my phone.}

The Dandy Lioness