For This is Life

"Now listen, it takes an education to build a reputation.. Not gonna stop this feeling, living on a feeling.."
~Chris Rene

The past couple of weeks, I have truly learned the importance of love, support, and life. I have seen through the life of an older man the true definition of love. It's not the petty, addicting lyrics of Taylor Swift of her 14th ex-boyfriend. It's not through the glamorous movie portrayal from Hollywood. It's not even the so called Happily Ever After as told by fairy tales and Disney. The story of love is more like happily forever in one moment. It doesn't happen ever after. For the journey to love is only 25% of the story. 75% of the story is what really occurs after happily ever after. I see love not just through the eyes of a person but in the actions of a person. This is more than chocolate hearts, diamond rings, and kisses. It's something more that is greater than yourself. It's understanding. It's acceptance. It's a promise to one another that when the skies seems gray, they are the sun and the stars. It's not forcing someone to change but allowing them to be who they are mentally, socially, physically, and culturally. Whether it's a love between two or a love between friends or even enemies. Love overcomes. It's a gift from God that spreads like a virus infecting everybody. And may it spread rampant like bees. May love buzz through the cold-hearted, the lost, the lonely. May they find support. May they be surrounded with warmth, smiles, happiness, and passionate compassion soon. May they be lost only to be found. May the infectious disease of love catch you and may you spread it to others until you have completed your purpose on this Earth. Keep your love ones close. For this is life, as I learned from a wise man to live to love and love to live. 

~In honor of Mr. Earl Bates

An Interesting Thing You Probably Didn't Know

Let me just clear this up. I'm not visually an artistic person. I can barely draw or paint a masterpiece. But I do know how to sculpt a little bit. I'm not talking like clay pottery or stone structures. I'm talking about sand. Yes, sand. I live about 4 or 5 hours away from the beach. Every time we visit we naturally visit the sandy shores and salty waters. I do more than just lay down on a towel and bake in the sun though. I love helping my father create sandcastles. I'm not just talking about the ones automatically formed in a shovel and pail. I mean legit ones. They're not so easy to create. I don't help with any of the fine, sculpting details. That's what my dad does. I help him create the foundation. When we pick a spot to create the sculpture, we do right where the wet sand and dry sand meet. The foundation is basically the base or structure of the entire thing. You have to do it exactly right or else your sandcastle will crumble into little pieces. So I take the long walk between the ocean and the structure to help form the base. This is how you make a solid base. You place sand, then pack it water back and forth. Trust me walking back and forth to the ocean to collect water is a major workout. We surround it with a roofing tarp to help from a cylindrical base. After adding a couple more additional bases on top of the main base, my dad starts chipping away the sand with random kitchen tools, a water sprayer, and a straw. I don't partake in that part. I usually just build a little wall or a wall with arches in front of the sculpture to highlight the main structure more and as a temporary barrier when the ocean comes to it.

  

I love sand sculptures because they aren't permanent. They don't last long. They entertain those who have an observant I to see the sculpture. The only things that can preserve them are photographs. It's kind of relaxing to see the ocean wash it away. It's feels so peaceful watching mother nature take it's course. It reminds you that life happens for a reason. We may lose people who we once thought were our friends. We may have formed a great relationship with someone one day, only to see it wash away the next. Sandcastles are like that too. No matter what happened, no matter how things just drifted apart, the only important thing is the great memories that were captured.  

Oh, Happy Easter!

Random thought of the moment: Every one says you only live once but I just truly think that you obviously love Oreos. YOLO.