Finding Yourself In the Sea
maggie and milly and molly and may by E.E. Cummings
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea
As I sat in a little cafe in Seaport, New York, I read this beautiful poem by E.E. Cummings and immediately was transported mentally to the week before at Rockport, Texas. If you’ve never been to Rockport is a small town just 30 minutes East of Corpus Christi on a bay of the Gulf of America shore. I’m still getting used to the fact that it changed names from the Gulf of Mexico, but that’s regardless of the post I’m writing today. My son Max and I took an impromptu trip back to Rockport just a few days earlier where I painted a few new acrylic and watercolor paintings. I was so inspired by the beauty and lifestyle of Rockport that we made two trips this past month to this seaside escape of a town
For many, Rockport is seen as a retirement area, and that is just the kind of pace my introverted INFP soul loves. It’s filled with art culture, sea-weathered buildings, the kind of place where people will have a half-hour conversation with a stranger, and so many fishermen. Tons of little coffee stands and shops, fresh foods and markets, and shorelines made for strolling alongside. As I reflected throughout the trip, I realized this is the kind of place you find yourself. I would be the girl photographing the textures and flowers. Then, taking my pen to write about the details in my blue and white striped crab motif journal, I found at the Mermaid Ranch boutique in the Historic cultural area of the city.
There was no timeline for where Max and I needed to be outside of making sure we gave our dog Violet lots of walks. We strolled and played at the park. He did a lot of napping on the go because it’s how he oftentimes relaxes. We ate some saltwater taffy and crab. Our favorite dinner was at Moonhouse, and he’s obsessed with getting his own grown-up cup with a lid and straw. I tell the waiters only to fill it halfway so he doesn’t spill it. We don’t rush. We soak it all in. Max loves to people-watch and see new things. Traveling with the little guy fills my heart up every trip we take.
For all of the parents out there reading this post, you can slow travel, especially with one kid at a time. I’ll share my experiences with my 16-year-old in New York soon, but slow travel requires fewer people and fewer things on the itinerary. You have to give yourself and other people lots of time to decompress and time to just wander around at their own pace. Getting to do this with my kids is the best! I truly believe that it’s a big reason God appointed me as their mama! I may not be a soccer mom, but I’m a lets find ourselves at the sea momma!
A few days in, I took Max over to Goose Island State Park. This is a place I recommend to anyone. I recommend it over Mustand Island (which is basically hell on a beach) for family, and if you have an RV. The island is filled with herons and swamps, but also has a lot of areas where you can just picnic or walk. Max and I found a quiet spot and sat there eating snacks while I did a watercolor. A family who was camping next to our viewing spot showed up and gave Max a few water balloons to play with! He was fascinated.
He got to run around for a little bit to burn off energy, and then we took a long walk throughout the park to soak in the setting sun. As we left, we drove over to the Big Tree area of the park and then back along the coast to head over the bridge to our inn. E.E. Cummings was right; we really do find ourselves in the sea. For more inspiration and reflections make sure to subscribe my weekly letter!
