Finding Love~
The very first time I came to South Carolina, it was way
back in the mid 80's. I worked for a family who had a house north of Myrtle
Beach, and we went there often. I grew up visiting the gulf coast with crystal
clear water and white powdery sand, and loved it. We spent many a spring break
and summer vacation snorkeling, body surfing, crabbing and playing in the clear
lagoons. So you can imagine my dismay when I saw the dingy sand and muddy water
of the Atlantic for the very first time. My remark to them was, " You guys
call THIS a beach???".
Fast forward to the next time I came to the Atlantic, in
February of 2013 to Charleston SC for an extended weekend. It was cold but sunny, and the huge azaleas
were already blooming everywhere. We visited Beka's favorite hunting spot for
shark's teeth, went to the pier, took my 3-legged foster dog Rocket to the
beach (he LOVED it!), and ate some great seafood. It was 3 days of laughing and
reconnecting one of her best friends with my daughter, and we all enjoyed
it. On the drive home, something kept
nagging at me, in a good way. I couldn't explain it, but I felt different. I went back to GA and just shook it off, and
eventually things were back to normal. Then in March, the need arose for me to
move to be closer to Beka. I am fortunate enough to work from home, so that
wasn't an issue. I went down to Charleston, found a place to rent, and went
home to get ready. Those were the longest 3 weeks of all. I couldn't wait to
get back. I was excited about the change (having only ever lived out of the
state of GA for 3 of my 49 years of life at that point. The pull I felt to be here
was so strong. I settled into my new home in no time, and never have I felt at
home in a new city so quickly. I loved it from the very first second. And this
was even before I knew about all of the untold beauty to explore, the nature
preserves, and multitude of festivals held every year.
I had found it. Love. The love I have for the ocean, it's
power to soothe me even on my darkest of days.
I love to drive over the huge suspension bridge when it's warm enough to
have all the windows down, singing at the top of my lungs as I marvel at how
fortunate I am to live amongst such beauty. I now love the smell of the pluff
mud at low tide, so much so that when I come home from being out of town, I
roll down my windows (not matter the temperature) to inhale the smell until my
lungs are so full they ache. I love that in just a short drive, I can be in the
"country" among horses, ducks, geese, pigs and friends with like minds
that see the value in being a voice for the voiceless. I love just sitting on
the beach, and watching families enjoy it, and feeling so blessed that even
though I FEEL like I am on vacation, I am not going to have to pack up and
leave at the end of the week like a lot of them. I love that pretty much
anywhere I go, I have to drive over a bridge, and almost always see boats and
people enjoying the beauty of this place. I love all the farmer's markets and
wonderful produce from early in the season to late in the fall. I love all the
people I've met, be it through dog rescue, horse rescue, photography, support
groups, or just on the street or beach; each one has touched my life and
enriched it in ways I never could have seen. I love that I can wear flip flops
almost all year long, and do! The sounds
of the owl in my backyard at night, the bats diving at the dogs, the fireworks
during baseball season from the River Dogs games, and the church bells of the
churches near me-that are all like homing beacons to me.
I may fall out of love with my low country paradise, but I
know when and if that time comes, I will love whatever new adventure life
brings me. The point of this is-everyone
needs to fall in love this way. People
should squeeze very ounce of life out of every second they have. We only get a certain number of trips around the
beautiful sun, make the most of it. Make the most of the relationships you have,
and grab hold of life. I wish when I was
in my 20's, someone had told me this then, I might have listened, I might not.
But knowing what I know now, I hope someone listens to me.
Love you all~
Rhonda~
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