We've been having very hot weather, in the 90s, which is pretty typical for this time of year. It starts to cool off in the evening so we often go to the beach to watch the sunset. Sometimes the kids go swimming, sometimes just a walk to look for seashells and treasures.
My mother enjoys going to the beach, but it's hard for her to get there in a wheelchair or with a walker. The wheels don't push through the sand easily. I've been scouting out places where we can go that are easily accessible. The other day we found a place that we hadn't been to yet. It was a little more crowded than we like, but we settled in to watch the sun set and watch the people too. The kids headed straight for the water to have a swim. I sat down in the sand next to my mother to keep her company.
There were lots of families with small children and next to each family were kids playing in the sand and building sand castles.
My mother and I watched the families interacting with each other. All of a sudden my mother asked "Why are we at a baptism? Who is getting baptized?" I looked at her and asked why she thought that. "Well, there are so many people and people are going out into the water" she replied. I reminded her that we were at the beach and people often swim at the beach. Usually we go to places that aren't so crowded, maybe all the people confused her. Then she asked "Where are your brother and sister?" I quietly reminded her that my brother had died 7 years ago. She sighed and acknowledged "Oh, yes, you are right" Mom's been having memory lapses more and more these days and she's often confused about events.
At first it looked as if we would just have an ordinary sunset.....
.... but then some clouds started forming in the distance.... we could see that it was raining far off on the horizon and the sky began to take on a golden hue that just seemed to magnify the blueness of the sky above the clouds. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stood to watch the majesty of God's work.
A man carrying a case walked up along the shore and stopped in front of us. He set the case down in the sand at his feet, opened it and removed a trumpet. Just as the sun began to dip below the horizon he began to play Taps.
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.
Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds
Always true to the promise that they made.
While the light fades from sight,
And the stars gleaming rays softly send,
To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.
https://soundcloud.com/tfockler/taps-us-military
The man finished playing and everyone burst into applause. Then the people started to disperse, families gathered up their belongings and children. We continued to sit and watch the last of the sun.
When almost everyone had left the sky became even more beautiful. We watched a while longer and then it was time for us to go home.
It's beautiful!
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