
As our adult children and their spouses piled out of their cars and we all filled the Silver Seadream with food, beach chairs, and gifts for our family reunion, I was thankful for the change of scenery since the stay-at-home order for COVID-19. Most importantly, our family from two states was able to keep our promises for a beach house vacation. While we continued to practice all the rules of safety at Seabrook, we also relished in our freedom at the beach and many trails around the resort. The three young men of our family built a fort while the rest of us relaxed. The men erected a tall “flag” made from a child’s black jacket found half-buried in the sand. About an hour later along came a boy, “Hey Mom! I found my jacket!” He pointed up to his small jacket suspended 10 feet in the air. Surprised and embarrassed, his mom approached our camp and confessed that our “flag” was her son’s lost jacket. With much celebration for the owner’s arrival, we removed the flag and handed it to the boy. We soon discovered another discarded child’s bright pink coat and raised the flag another time. This time we were greeted by a chuckling dad who pointed to the coat and said it belonged to his daughter. Two for two on the lost and found rating! That’s a five-star review for our first afternoon at the beach! Add that to a comfortable house in South Farm where we could use warm water to hose off the sand before tumbling into the back door where the perfect beach drop zone existed — bench with shoe caddy, hooks galore, and colorful hot tub towels! The tall ceilings and south-facing windows of this naturally light house provided a comfortable place for our family to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our first grandbaby. We lingered long around the table for eight and appreciated the well-stocked kitchen. When we needed wood for a nearby fire pit, a quick call to the front desk and our need was met. Those hot dogs roasted over the fire were a perfect lunch out.