Beachy Christmas

"Beachy" Christmas

This past Christmas my family and I loaded up the car and headed to the choppy Gulf of Mexico; Orange Beach, Alabama to be exact. A “vacation present” was not new to me and my brother. We loved leaving for holidays to get away from the cold rush and stampeding craziness. The loss of my dad back in 2008 was another looming reason we wanted to “get away from it all”. We needed to refresh our minds and souls with salty dew. We needed to make new “memory days” as my dad would call them. So, we loaded up “sand fun” and a couple presents in tow and followed the sunny asphalt.

4 hours trailed behind the blue car and we finally reached the misty smitten hotel. “It’s beautiful! I can’t believe we’re at the Gulf again!” Joy clamored from all of us as we walked through the sliding doors. I followed the “coffee trail” to the “palmy” view in the distance. God’s beauty moved rushing waters and windy whips of sand. I pranced towards the tantalizing crystal pool and white capped waters beyond. “It’s so pretty!”

We plopped our bags in the corner and ran to the balcony overlooking grassy mounds and blue oasis. We unwrapped our “vacation present” of an “Orange Beach Christmas”.

Orange Christmas

Orange seaside blowing, churning water fluffs

Seagulls bellow sassy chuckles from windy sky

Merry Christmas! From night mellow pool side

Rush of misty air flowers my golden hair

Take up peaceful beach chair

A nap? Perhaps, just a snappy cat!

No rush to be had, no crowded fight

Coral sun sets upon the mystic grass land

No work unto man, cover with blanket of soft sand

Awake! Breakfast delight, coffee to take on Irish might!

Pursue rustic boardwalk to foggy dew

“Catch that football, Bran!”

“What are you doing, Jo Jo?”

Banter and laughter saunter over sea

Come sun, come grace my face and Palm tree

White Christmas of snowy seashells galore

Watch out for poppy blue Jellies!

Sure to be a stingy felly!

Waves arabesque and pirouette

Dancing in a tutu of sapphire blue

Family strolls, wait! Pose for the camera!

Mother with the wisdom of canny pelicans.

that mount the peaked surge

Brother, witty and true

Sandpiper you do abide

Love rises with the ascending tide

Spiritual bonding ties a Celtic knot

Orange Christmas sets upon “memory day”

Good night, salty air

Sweet tanned dreams

Kindred clan, pray to God

Thankful, for each grain of “blessing sand”

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