A beach of one’s own

Everyone needs a quiet beach - one they can retreat to for thinking time, or visit with a good book or a really great friend.

Mine is called The Rat Beach. 

Let me explain…

My beach sits amongst grand old houses and twisty suburban roads. The beach isn’t itself grand, really just a patch of sand surrounded by bush and ocean and nostalgia. It’s perfect - with the laid back Aussie style that makes you feel completely free and in love with life. A place to eat paddle pops, climb on rocks, nap with a t-shirt over your face, and see how many seconds you can float without sinking.

On a quiet weekday trip when a now 20-something kidult was young, there was a petrified shout that went out to swimmer and paddlers across my quiet beach: “RAT!”.    

Toddlers were hoisted onto hips, belongings moved in haste, and pairs of feet galloped from the water. That is, except for the feet of the now kidult. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her towards the scene of terror. “I’m so excited, I’ve never seen a rat before” she repeatedly told the many adults who tried to block her path.

This will forever be The Rat Beach - in our family and in my heart. And now it’s not just a place of tranquility but comes with a side of giggles too.