“The Slide and the Sea”

Lately it doesn’t feel like we’re stepping down with pauses to catch our breath. It feels more like we’re on a downhill ride—once the slope began, there haven’t been any flat spots, just a steady, unstoppable slide, faster than I’d like.

And yet, even on this slope, there are moments that glimmer. We made it to the beach not long ago—time blurs these days, I can’t remember exactly when—but he got his fish and chips, the one thing he’d been craving. The salt in the air, the crash of the waves, his smile over that simple meal and watching our beautiful grandkids having a wonderful time…those are the memories I hold onto, the sparks of light as the paths grow steeper.