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Marla Deen

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A New Family Beach Trip

June 27, 2014 by Marla-Deen Brooks 8 Comments

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We are headed to the beach for the week of July 4th.  This is one of my favorite holiday times.  It brings back lots of fun memories with my family.  We have been going to Amelia Island, Florida, since before Iwas born.  I learned to swim there at a little motel called The Surf when I was two.  I still remember my Daddy watching me jump off the diving board and swim to the side, not even realizing I was actually swimming!  This was the place where, in my teen years, we actually stayed for the entire month of July.  My Daddy fished off of the pier and my mom and I got as tanned as we could.  My brother drove up and down the beach in his bright blue Trans Am looking for girls.   I had my first summer boyfriend.  This was the place where I also brought high school and college boyfriends.  I met one of my dearest friends at the beach and she became my college roommate.   This is the place where I worked one summer during college – living with my aunt who lived there.  This was also the place where, after being engaged, we allowed The Husband into the fold.  And at the beach I lost my engagement ring!  I was devastated!  We were all looking for it frantically trying to hide the fact from my father . . . until my sweet sister-in-law found it behind a nightstand.  

This is where our family gathered each summer.  We had ribs on July 4th and shot off fireworks on the beach.  We watched our babies grow and swim and build sandcastles.  The First Son caught his first fish with his Papa.  This is where we took sailing trips on my aunt and uncle’s boats.  Later, this  is where we piled up in my brother’s boat for trips to Cumberland Island where we fished, sunned and searched for shells.  

This is also the place I have not been since July 2012.  This was when the unthinkable happened and we lost my ever fun loving, life of the party, brother and best friend to me, rock solid son to my mom, Uncle Mike to my boys,  and husband and father to my sister in law and nephew.  It was unfathomable that such a horrible, tragic thing could happen at a place that was filled with so many happy times and memories.  I wrote about that trip here. 

So, for a long while I have said that I could not go back there.  I’ve tried to look for a “new family beach” for us.  We have just missed going to a familiar place for vacation.  Then I slowly began to realize that I couldn’t recreate another place with so many happy memories and times.  Maybe it wouldn’t be sad to go back to an area that had been so important for  so many years.  Of course, we could never go back to stay at the same place where the horrific event happened, but we could comemorate all the fun and happy times –  before there were so many losses,  and begin to make new memories that would build on the old ones.  

So, this is the plan and I’m on board and think it’s a good one.  I’m a little nervous, but we all know it’s time to gather and honor Mike and say goodbye.  Our new normal is our smaller family unit consisting of my family of five, and my,  just like a sister, sister-in-law,  and her son, my nephew.  We are still knitted together by blood and by memories and experiences.  We will be missing three important members, my Daddy, my brother and my mother.  But we will gather on my brother’s boat and take to the waters he loved so much in a place that meant so much to us for so many years, and we will let the waters have his ashes, part of him, as he would have wanted.  The sun will rise and set and he will be so happy and joyful and I’m sure he will be giving everyone a toast at the 5 o’clock hour.  


I am looking forward to some quiet times, enjoying the beach, (there’s nothing like a walk or run on the beach to begin the day), reading and being with my family.  I may visit this site or I may unplug, I’m just not sure.  In any event, have a great week!
I hope you enjoy your July 4th!

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Filed Under: Amelia Island, Cumberland Island, Family Vacations, Florida, General Post, July 4th, Memorial Services, Vacation

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shannon says

    June 27, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    Wishing your family and Amy and Farris a vacation full of happy memories and an unusual peace and comfort sent from above.

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth Calhoun says

    June 27, 2014 at 3:18 pm

    Marla – I loved your post and understand it completely! I grew up going to Amelia too! We went every summer for my entire life with my grandparents and aunt, uncle and cousins. It is where all of my most fond memories of childhood are. I have loved taking my own kids there to do all of the things we loved to do back then. It is really the only vacation my dad would take every year probably because my grandmother would have never let him miss it! We used to kid her that we had to have a written note from Jesus to miss it. We moved to Texas and still had to come back for that precious week! After my dad passed away my first visit back was so difficult but the more I return the more precious the place becomes. It feels like true home and I feel such comfort in the family history that surrounds me when I am there. John and I got engaged there on July 4, 2010! I wish we were going this 4th too but 2 of our children are at camp so we had to plan the trip for the end of July! Have a great trip!!! Prayers for your entire family. XOXO

    Reply
  3. Christy Byers says

    June 27, 2014 at 3:43 pm

    I pray that you have a wonderful vacation filled with loving memories of your family.

    Reply
  4. Lynn says

    June 27, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    Have a great time! You’ve come a long way in 2 years! xo

    Reply
  5. Gina says

    June 27, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    Loved reading that Marla, thanks for sharing. I’ll be thinking about y’all this week. All my love. And thanks for all those great memories we had at Amelia!

    Reply
  6. Tracy says

    June 27, 2014 at 8:09 pm

    We too went back to St. Simons without my Dad for the first time this week. We didn’t have as long of a history there but did have several years of family trips there and a wedding. It was 2 years ago memorial day weekend that we last spent with him there. He had been slowly declining but right after that trip, he went in the hospital and then to a nursing home and never came back home permanently. Those were good memories with him in SSI not knowing at the time we wouldn’t be able to take him on vacation anymore. My Mom was really happy to be able to have our family trip once again and we talked about Dad a lot and she brought his picture to put in her condo. So, I do think that it will be a very special trip for you, a time to enjoy your family and reflect on all the great memories. Thanks for posting and I will be thinking about you! Your brother seems a lot like my brother :).

    Reply
  7. Jennifer says

    June 29, 2014 at 11:58 pm

    I’m so happy you are going back to Amelia. I know it will end up being a happy vacation with lots of laughs and a few tears too. Praying for a great week for all of you! Start a new tradition (or 2) and make new memories.

    Reply
  8. Frances says

    July 5, 2014 at 8:44 am

    I hope this trip was a good break & a great release! Xoxoxo

    Reply

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