Pearly Shells


 My second letter to my Dad...


Dear Dad,

            I hope you are doing well.  It’s so nice to see the flowers sprouting up and knowing that spring is near.  I’m sure it’s beautiful in Sonoma County right now and the apple blossom trees are blooming.
            Part of our bedtime routine with the kids is to sing to them and one of the songs I sing is Pearly Shells, because you and my mom sang it to me when I was little.  It has always been very special to me.  A couple years ago, Norm gave me a Ukulele for Christmas and part of his gift to me was learning that song and playing it for me on Christmas morning.  Needless to say, I cried.  It was a beautiful and priceless gift.  I will forever be thankful for the time we lived in Hawaii.  Although I don’t really remember it, I have pictures and other things (like that song) to remind me.  If it weren’t for your love of wind surfing, I might not have been able to have that amazing experience as a child.  To play on the beach, eat fresh tropical fruit, live near horses and explore.  I have always felt a deep connection to Hawaii and love the laid back vibe they have there.  Without YOU, I would not have had that experience.  So, thank you.  Every time I sing Pearly Shells to my babies, I think of you. 

Pearly shells, from the ocean, shining in the sun, covering up the shore
When I see them my heart tells me that I love you, more than all the little pearly shells.

For every grain of sand upon the beach, I got a kiss for you
And I've got more left over, for each star that twinkles in the blue,

Pearly shells, from the ocean, shining in the sun, covering up the shore,
When I see them, my heart tells me that I love you, more than all the little Pearly shells

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

She, He, Them

 The world we live in was built on the Patriarchy and it bleeds into everything, especially religion and faith.  Growing up in the Christian church, I thought that was how it should be because that's what I was told to believe.  If you ever for one second questioned that, you were headed down a "slippery slope".  I remember one day my dad asked me "What if God is a woman?" and you would think by my reaction that he had asked me to commit murder.  That's how deeply entrenched I was in the idea that God is and must be and can only be a man.  Fast forward about 30 years and last weekend on Mother's Day I'm sitting in my mom's church (Normandy Park United Church of Christ), celebrating "Mother Earth Sunday" and singing:  "She's got the whole world in her hands, she's got the whole world in her hands..." The idea that God is only Father can actually be very hard for people that have never had a close relationship with their...
Read more

My Calling

Leave it to a Taylor Swift docuseries to give me an earth-shattering revelation.  If you know me well or have read my blog, you will know about my very long struggle with vocation and what that means for me.  When I was around five, I wanted to "cut hair".  Flash forward to early college, I wanted to do youth ministry which turned into music which turned into I should just graduate already.  I had a string of random jobs to help pay the bills while we started to grow our family.  As I got older, I started to wonder "what am I doing with my life"?  I regretted being in debt for college when I wasn't "using" my degree to make money.   At one point I thought it might be fun to go to massage school and maybe that's something I could be good at.  Then when we were in Iowa, I realized I had a strong passion for social justice and began a certificate program but only took one class because we had to move pretty suddenly.  Once we got back to Se...
Read more

Paleo Fish Tacos

For those of you who were interested in the fish taco recipe... -Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook, By Sarah Fragoso Fish Tacos with Spicy Slaw 1-2 lbs wild-caught cod fillets Marinade Freshly squeezed juice from 1 lime 1 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp chipotle powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt Spicy Slaw 2 cups shredded green cabbage 1 cup diced mango 1/2 cup diced cilantro leaves 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced jicama 1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed and minced (optional) 1/4 cup mayonnaise (she makes her own, I just used out of the jar) 1/8 tsp chipotle powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin For tacos: Butter or Romaine lettuce leaves Diced fresh cilantro Sliced radishes Lime wedges 1.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together marinade 2.  Put the fish fillets in the bowl of marinade and gently rub the marinade into them; let the fish soak for at least 15 min. 3.  In the meantime prepare the spicy slaw 4.  Rinse and dry several large butter or Romaine let...
Read more