During regular days, I seldom stop and listen. The routine, all the other things to think about and still need to be done: “Nina, please go to bed. Now!”
Last night after a great meal and being on vacation even though it was way past her bedtime, we were hanging out on the balcony of our hotel in Santa Cruz looking onto the ocean with the full moon shining down on us.
It was getting cooler and over time Nina ended up rolled up in a blanket on my lap. And she started to ask questions:
Nina: Is this how the sea sleeps?
Me: (thinking: Wow, how do you answer this?) Well, you can say so, yes.
Nina: Why isn’t the sea sleeping like Mama?
Me: What do you mean?
Nina: Well, with a blanket and a pillow?
Me: (thinking: Now, how do you answer that?)
Nina: It isn’t quiet.
Me: No it isn’t.
Nina a bit louder: Stop it!
Nina laughs: The sea doesn’t listen to me.
Me laughing too: No, it doesn’t.
Nina: It’s the beach. It’s because of the beach that the sea can’t sleep like Mama.
Me: (Smiling while envisioning the ocean turning to its side while having a blanket and pillow) I guess so.
That little exchange made my day.
Need to stop and tune into Nina more often.
Picture taken last night by Mark & Marie Finnern.