Here I am sitting in my upstairs office looking out the windows and seeing nothing but blue sky and green trees. This time year is one of the best times here in Maine. The wetness of spring and the warmth of summer is beginning to wane while the temperatures become more ideal for any outdoor activity. We have the "leaf peepers", "the lighthouse seekers", the "rocky coast climbers", and visitors from all over the world. It seems like small change in the weather acts like a magnet and draws travelers in by the thousands. It's like thousands of bees returning to the hive. All buzzing, zipping, bumping into each other trying to find their favorite spot among the vast array of tunnels they created during this seasons cycle.

 

As I sit here amazed at the volume of cars passing by I am reminded of those times when I was a child and the level of excitement I felt as we left our home to come here in Maine for our summer. Yes, there are many times when we spent weeks enjoying the beach, building castles in the sand, and coming home walking strangely because of the sand in our bathyou suits. Many of you may not have had such an experience sand in your bathing suit is well, shall I say, uncomfortable.

 

Then, I saw families passing by carrying more stuff than one could imagine. I can understand the umbrellas in blankets to stay warm and be comfortable. However, bringing large kites no matter how pretty is not something one needs to bring where if you’re lucky you’ll have one square meter of space. 

 

In spite of all this, I still remember with great fondness sitting in the middle of the pool created by magical walls and towers of unmistakable beauty. It was a contest between family members to see who  could build the tallest spires on the turrets neatly found in each corner of each castle protecting the occupant from harm.  It was a glorious time filled with sunshine and the challenge to see who built the best fort of the day.

 

It always amazes me how sites and moments of reflection call back some of the most amazing moments of my life.  Have you gone back to your childhood summers? Have you relived any childhood memories cast by your mind in the middle of a frustrating day?

 

Those “miracle moments” can lead you from frustration to laughter, from sadness to tears and joy. They simply lie just under the surface of our consciousness awaiting the right moment to surface. It’s when your mind stops and you can see so clearly that it’s like jumping through a thin lacy veil of time. At least, it always seems so thin yet within a flash I seem to travel years.

 

As soon as my feet began to sink beneath the cool wet sand and I could sense the smells and that unmistakable salt water fragrance penetrated the my conscious mind I heard the phone ring and it felt like I fell 20 feet before my hand grabbed the phone and I quickly came back to my office sitting behind my desk - writing this note to you.

 

I find that it is during those “miracle moments” that years turn into days -  then hours -  hours turn into seconds - and then………