It’s time to kick off summer!
Last week, I was sitting on the beach at midday when a young family set up a few feet away from me. They dropped their bags, laid out their towels and ran off together to be in the ocean. Obviously, they were not from here. Within seconds, the seagulls arrived. They started to feverishly peck at the backpacks and bags. All of a sudden, slices from a loaf of bread were being tossed into the air! I couldn’t let them go any further. I jumped up and shooed the seagulls as best I could, then I briskly walked down to the ocean and signaled to the group of five, waving my arms and shouting for them to come out of the water. They were extremely confused…until they looked behind me at the flock swarming over their belongings!
The seagulls were on their way to destroying their lunch – and their kick-off to summer. I couldn’t let it happen! The family planned for this and had the courage and the good fortune to be at the beach that day. All I could think about was that if it were me, I’d want someone to do the same. We had a good laugh (once the seagulls cleared) and I was so glad I had the courage to do what I did. A wonderful exchange followed.
The moral of the story? Explore courage this summer. Have the courage to do something you wouldn’t normally do. You don’t need to book an expensive trip to the other side of the planet–-start in your own backyard. This summer, give yourself a project at home, begin new plantings in a corner of your backyard, visit your local library and join a book club, partake in a community event like a beach clean up or 5k run/walk. Meet one new person a month. And, always, always remember to do a good deed.
