Tennessee Valley Beach

I went for a great hike yesterday with my two nephews, Trevor and Skylar. I took them to my favorite beach (Tennessee Valley Beach) which is about 2 miles from our home. Although my nephews are 13 and 15 and have grown up in the suburbs, they were still completely in awe of the overwhelming beauty and nature that surrounded us. I had a blast watching them chase a snake, scramble up the side of the cliffs, explore the wreckage of an old ship (the "Tennessee") which was grounded on this beach over 100 years ago, and run from waves. Trevor didn't run quite fast enough one time and got his foot soaked by a wave, but we joked that he has now been officially baptized by the Pacific Ocean -- something that I think everyone should do at least once in their lifetime.

What I didn't tell Trevor and Skylar -- and maybe I should have! -- is that every time that I have ever gone to Tennessee Valley Beach and prayed for something, it has come true. It is a magical beach and every time I go there I feel a spiritual presence -- I feel it in the crashing waves, in the far-off horizon, in the dramatic cliffs that surround me, in the hawks that swoop and glide overhead and in the small, colorful birds that land chirping at my feet, and in the hillside full of beautiful wildflowers. And so as Trev and Sky were scrambling around exploring the beach and the hillside behind me, I sat quietly on the bench in this picture and prayed for my body to be strong and healthy and to live a long, happy life.