10 Things You Learn About Life When You Go to the Beach

1.  Don't have lots of stuff.  The sand gets in everything, and it's a lot to manage when you're tired.  Less is more.

2.  Listen to older and wiser people.  Grandpa knows where to park and find the best spot.  He had to do it before GPS and iPhones.  

3. You need protection of all sorts--the more the better (SPF 100). 

4.  Find places to rest in the shade.

5.  Don't expect to find whole things (shells, starfish, crabs).  Most everything is broken but still beautiful.

6.  When you leave the shore and venture out, it's best to have  folks (grandma and grandpa) watching you and with you (Mom and Dad).  The sea is dangerous, so the more people you have aware of you, the better.

7.  Your instincts tell you to race back to the shore when a wave is coming.  Do not do this.  It will pummel you and toss you so hard you'll be beyond recognition afterward.  Move towards the wave (the fear, the new thing, the huge transition), and you'll find it will let you rise up high.  As my daughter says, "The wave only looks big.  When you swim through it, it becomes small."

8.  Know when it's time to go home.   Too much riding the waves means you can't make it back to your car.

9.  Stop for ice-cream on the way back to the car.  Sometimes a sweet, cold treat helps everybody manage if they've not figured out number 8.

10.Take pictures and look at them a lot.