Refuge

I am sitting in lakeside quiet, loving the peace of such dark stillness. An occasional fish jumping, bugs large and small darting into the screens around me, Doug and my parents discussing the Olympics in the room behind me, a beach fire popping in the distance: I love the soundtrack of nights here. And watching Mercy frolic from morning to night in the water, drinking “coffee” poured by Aaron from the same beach toys I used to make “coffee” for my mom, and doing my best to keep Elijah from eating too many rocks reminds me that I am rich indeed.

After a few very tired first days here, I can feel that soul-altering restoration creeping into my body. And while days start bright and early at 6am, and there is no end to swimming and digging and sunscreen-applying, the day’s end brings such a very different kind of tired.