He is 7 years old and playing on the beach of my childhood.
I no longer swim in the surf, unsure of myself in ways inconceivable fifty years ago, but the sight of my grand nephew at play in these waters was far more sweet than bitter in my viewfinder.
Yes, I envied him his supple knees and energy, but not his joy–for that (alleluia thank you jay-sus !) has not been tangled or twisted in the weeds of age.
In fact, in that department I might, just might, have a thing or two to teach him about joy-finding before the sun goes down on the waters of Buzzards Bay and the bats begin their picnic on the beach.
(Plus, he was wearing the bathing suit I bought him for his birthday! Yea! Joy dance. Sometimes Pappy is not the best picker outer of clothes for kids.)
©Pat Coakley 2009
PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION
wonderful photograph, the energy of the angle somehow expresses the joy and the tiny spot of red on the suit that has a navy blue tone brings the gift to life and the dance is beautiful and you can see you in him for sure, a lovely indescribable resemblance
Oh, that would be nice to bear a resemblance to his spirit! And, I love “the energy of the angle”….it is just precisely that but I hadn’t thought of it.
This is the kinda picture every mother loves! Framed and on the mantel!
Go to the beach with your family and forget about the locating the horizon. Presto! On the wall a few days later.