This past spring, my granddaughters ask me if I would take them to the beach over fall break. The conversation as to how this came about was quite amusing. Our oldest granddaughter, Annalise, sat down next to me at her sister’s volleyball game and ask if we could talk. I said, “Of course.” She proceeded, “Mimi, would you be interested in going to the beach next fall over our break? My mom doesn’t want to go but she said you would love to go to the beach. I talked to the girls (her two sisters) and they really want to go.” I responded, “I would love to go to the beach with you girls.” To which Annalise said, “Well, there is only one problem, you would have to pay for it.”  On the inside, I was chuckling at the subtle admonishment that I was going to have to foot the bill. But on the outside, I kept a straight face and responded, “Well, that is about six months away, I think we can work that out.” Annalise and her sisters were ecstatic, and I was honored and thrilled they ask me to go with them, even if I did have to foot the bill!

As we drove back home along the Alabama and Mississippi highways, I reflected on the week. There was a great deal of excitement the morning we left, especially when the girls discovered that there was a Bucce’s strategically placed along the highway we would be traveling. Once we arrived at our condo, we unloaded and headed down to watch the sunset, it was just beautiful!

We had three full days of sunshine that included walks in the sand, swimming, frisbee, volleyball, and gymnastics on the beach. Then we had two and a half days of clouds and rain. But the rain did not slow them down. One granddaughter got a pedicure, another a manicure, and the other got a new sweatshirt and fresh hot cup of coffee. When you have rain at the beach there is not much to do, so why not shop, right?  Each girl had brought her own money to spend, so it was fun to see all they were able to purchase.

There were nighttime swims, talks, ice cream, and a lot of country music. I still cannot get the words of those songs out of my mind! In reflecting on our week, I had a sense of gratitude for the time I was able to have with my granddaughters. It will always be a highlight for me. I hope when they are older and have grandchildren of their own, they will realize what a gift they gave to me the fall of 2023. I am forever grateful!