The Father that cares for His children and hates to see them suffer orchestrates the meeting of a young girl and an old surfer.
While visiting the Texas coast with some very good friends I wanted to try, for the second time, stand up paddle surfing or SUP. The first couple of hours of SUP took place in the bay with my wife and our friends. But I wanted to SUP in the surf, so off we went to one of my frequented surf spots. The ocean was a little rough and was a challenge for a beginner to SUP. I just had to try it regarless of my lack of experience. I just laid on the board like I would a surfboard and tucked the paddle between my chest and the board. Like a surfboard, I would paddle enough to catch the wave, stand up, reach down and grab the paddle and SUP.
My last ride into the beach a little girl, a third grader, meets me and says to me, "I wish I could learn how to surf." I just smiled at her and laughed to myself on the subtleness of this third grader. My heart was stirred, moved, touched or whatever you call it. I am sure that you have felt that "heart tug" at some time in your life. I try to pay attention and respond to its pull. Twenty feet away was the mother and so I asked her if it would be ok for me to teach the girl to surf. The mother, with tears beginning to appear in her eyes, said "Taylor would just love that."
Carrying the board back to the shoreline where Taylor was playing, I ask her if she would like to try surfing. Making sure she had approval from her mother, she broke into a smile as big as the Texas Coast. Before I could give her some instructions I had to assure her that we didn't have to worry about sharks.
It was her first time on a surfboard (SUP) and she stands up and now she understands the Beach Boys song Catch a Wave "and you will be sitting on top of the world" even though she may have never heard of the Beach Boys.
"Mom look, I'm surfing!" "Mom did you see that!" "I'm pretty good, aren't I mom?!" I would push the lillte girl into wave after wave. Now I am laughing and swallowed up in her wide-eyed, third grader's joy.
Afterwards the mother can't stop thanking me for teaching Taylor how to surf. "Are you kidding, thank you for allowing me to share in her joy!", I told her.
A little girl with a full life ahead of her and a young mother who is fighting for each day teaches me about living. Just think, I almost walked away from this little girl's request. "I wish I could learn how to surf." Thank you Taylor's mom and Taylor for reminding me that life's joys can be hidden behind the thin curtain of selfishness. It is always better to give. Thank You. "You got to duck dive."
