waves

There are times when I think Ansley may have salt water running though her veins. The child runs to the gulf water fullspeed as far as she can go, like she is running to her daddy when he returns from a long trip,  and then collapses into the waves like she is falling into a giant feather bed. The waves will go over her and over her and she never gets tired of it. We see her little freckled face peaking up in the sunshine with a smile and her eyes closed. Of course, I am never farther than a few steps away from her. She is a strong swimmer for a 44 pound 7 year old little girl, but she is just that - a 7 year old girl in a vast gulf. She loves it and it scares the hell out of me. And at the same time I get such energy seeing her pure enjoyment of something so natural. It is not a man made pool, or water slide or even a water hose (another of her favorite things) but the same waves and the same gulf that so many people for so many, many years have enjoyed.
I have to give a 10 minute warning. "Its almost time to go."
A 5 minute warning - "Really, girlie, we are going to have to go"
And then finally - when we really do have to go, she crawls out from the waves slowly on all fours, looking at us slyly with a little sidewise toothless grin.
"just one more minute, mama. Time me. "
Of course at this point, her scowling little brother, who does love the beach, just not as much as his older sister, has stated multiple times while sitting cross-armed on a beach towel that he is "READY TO GO TO THE YELLOW HOUSE." Mostly because he wants to take an outside shower. 
She emerges. No need for a towel. The sun is still warm enough - even at 6pm - to warm and dry her by the time we walk back to our bikes. Bathing suit on, she hops right on her bike and heads off toward home.  No worries. We have built a world around her and filled it with people who want more than anything to maintain that happiness, innocence and a life free from worry. I know it will happen one day. But for now, she
is covered in salt water and sand, and she is one happy girl.