It's Shocking the Difference a Year Can Make

Last year when we were visiting the Atlantic Coast, Micah was thrilled to see all that water at the end of the beach. The boy ran across the hot sand, completely unaware that the rest of us had slight first degree burns on the underside of our toes. He hit the water before we could give him a warning about the waves, and he was bowled over by a particularly good tide while we watched from the beach. When he was done spitting, he decided that he was done with the beach. He ran back toward us, and bypassed our family, and headed back to the van.

He was that kind of done.

It was quite the struggle to get him headed back toward the water again, and there was no way he was going into the water. It was a not-so-fun beach visit for the rest of the family because not only did Micah not want anything to do with the water, but he was freaked out because his brothers had the audacity to actually go play in it. He's nothing if not concerned, and if it's too freaky for him, it's too freaky for everyone. He was sure they were going to get eaten alive, and he was not happy that they continued to take their own safety so lightly. Much fussing was the order of that day.



Today, we visited the coast again. I was stocked with sand toys, and we had friends with, and both could be a distraction for Micah. But would they be? Or would he simply have a meltdown because we were at the Man Eating Salt Waves again?

We staked out our own spot by the water and set up camp. (With a party of 13, it's almost a legal zip code.) The boys headed to the waves, and Micah ran after them. I was shocked that his elephant-like memory didn't kick in and start flashing neon colored warning signs in his brain. The boys jumped a wave, and Micah got bowled over. Great. We were at the beach 2 minutes and 47 seconds, and we would spend the next few hours listening to Micah fussing that we were all in grave danger and could we please go home.

He came up spitting, wiped his eyes, pumped his fists, and grinned from ear to ear. The boy absolutely fell in love with the ocean, and became one of the best wave jumpers at the Jersey Shore today. It's amazing what a difference a year can make, and how much he has overcome in fighting his inner fears.