I’m currently at the beach on vacation. The daytime weather has been hot and humid with a slight cooling breeze blowing off the ocean. The nights have been hot as well, but the indoor air conditioning of our rented home is top notch, so sleeping isn’t an issue.
We awoke to dark, threatening clouds this morning and within the first hour of sunrise, a massive storm moved in. A torrential rain ensued, replete with pounding thunder and lightning. We all happily sat on the covered porch with our coffee and marveled at the force of Mother Nature.
An hour later, the sun was shining, and it was back to the status quo of heat and humidity.
When I was child, my family generally went to the lake for summer vacations. We had a longstanding family home on a lake less than an hour away so going there felt like “getting away” even with it being so close by.
But after I graduated from college and started my own independent life, the ocean beaches were where my wife and I chose to visit each summer. Prior to my son coming into the picture, we visited the west coast of Florida and even made our way to Disney World a couple of times. Once our son was born, however, Cape Cod became our go-to destination.
We had friends with children the same age as our son, so we often co-rented a house on the bay side of the Cape. The combo of families was fun and engaging for everyone. The days were about entertaining the kids with beach visits and local sights and the nights were when the adults got to relax and unwind the way adults like to do.
Once my son got to be a little older, we started heading south to the Carolina beaches. The beaches in the south are expansive with epic sands and picturesque dunes, but the real attraction is the warmth of the water. I’m not a huge fan of cold water, so the bath-like temps of the south are immensely appealing. The waves are also better in the south, which makes surfing and/or boogie boarding more engaging.
When he was young, I loved taking my son into the surf on a boogie board and getting him launched onto the perfect wave. Seeing his joy at riding a long wave is one of those burned-in memories that I will forever cherish.
My kid was such a good sport at the beach, always willing to build a sand castle or toss a frisbee. But as he’s grown, his time with me has diminished. He started getting into fishing and preferred to spend time with his cousins (who we often vacationed with) or one of the friends he started getting into the habit of bringing along.
I find myself watching the action now instead of being in the action. I suppose that’s the passage of time; I don’t try to fight it, but it does cause a bit of melancholy.
And now my son has graduated high school and is about to embark on his own life adventures. He’s close to the age I was when I broke off so it shouldn’t surprise or scare me. But it does give me pause.
During our last couple of vacations, my son has preferred to sleep all morning, fish all day, and then party with his cousins and friends all night (which causes him to sleep the entire next morning). If I’m lucky, I get him to golf with me once. And if I’m really lucky, I get him to take a walk on the beach with me. He usually complains about the walks, explaining that “it’s just a boring walk,” but inevitably we have a great conversation about life and he’s grateful we did it.
I can feel the separation of father to son happening more and more. At my weakest moments, I yearn for the days when he was dependent on me. But then I remind myself that life is a journey, and while he has been an integral part of mine, he has his own journey to follow now, and I need to let him go.
In this week’s feature, “Find Me Falling” we meet a retired rock star who let someone go years prior, but now that he has a different perspective on life, he’s willing to take a second look.
Starring Harry Connick Jr, “Find Me Falling” is a serviceable rom-com set on the dreamy island of Cyprus in Greece, which gives the predictable storyline a much-needed boost of sophistication. There’s also a side story involving desperation that’s very unique and which gives the film an air of meaningfulness.
Check this one out if you are a sucker for love stories. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but the ride is dreamy and fun, especially with the appealing Connick taking the reins.
An oily “C+” for “Find Me Falling,” now available to stream on Netflix.
Got a question or comment for Dom? You can email him at [email protected].
