The Adventures of Harry and Grace (H.S.)

A New Type of Hug

"She loves the water, doesn't she?" You lean back into your husband's arms and the smell of the sea air blows past your nose, giving you a calm and content feeling.

"I love watching her feet when the water touches them." Harry comments, watching his four year old daughter as she shovels wet sand into her pail. Another wave crashes against the beach, spreading smoothly across the sand as it reaches her toes. Grace dances her feet back and forth as the cold water crawls up between her toes.

"Like that?" You chuckle, as Grace pushes her pink sunnies up her nose and begins digging in the sand, pointing her pink ruffled bottom high in the air and filling her bucket as full as she can make it.

"Just like that." Harry pats your leg, signaling you to sit up. He pulls his body away from yours as he runs towards his daughter; the sand flips as his feet move fast across the sand. "I gotcha!!!" Harry says as he lifts his daughter high in the air. The music of her squeals blend beautifully with the waves creating a symphony that is perfect for the soundtrack of your life.

Harry sets his daughter on the ground, sitting his bum in the sand. Taking her shovel, he begins to dig.

"Look at this, Gracie bug." Harry says, smoothing the sand out across his hand. The sand begins to move as a crab begins its escape from Harry's grasp.

"AHH!" Grace screams, jumping slightly at the surprise that was under the sand.

"Don't be scared, Grace; it's just a crab. He is nice, like Sebastian." Harry says, moving the crab around his hand. It is small, but adorable as it gets on its feet and crawls about his palm.

"Mumma!! Found 'Bastian. Ariel's fwend!!" Grace jumps up and down, pointing towards Harry's hand. Her excitement is as big as the ocean, and it makes you happy that she is exploring the world around her.

"Should we put him back in his home?" Harry asks Grace. She nods and watches as her father places the crab in the sand. The tiny animal digs his body, making a hole in the ground, protecting his body from the surf that is about to crash.

"Bye "bastian. Sweet dreams." Grace waves to the crab before looking back at her father.

"Should we go look for some shells?" Harry asks his bright eyed little one.

"I go get my bucket!" Grace runs up the sand as fast as she can, picking up a pink bucket that is resting by your towel.

"What are ya going to do, my love?" You ask.

"Gonna hunt for seashells. Wanna come?" Her body is covered in sand and when she flings her arms about, sand goes flying.

"Sure! That sounds like fun!" You stand up from your towel, placing your sunglasses on your eyes and make your way behind your daughter who is running towards your husband.

"Gotta keep your eyes peeled, mumma!" Grace stops, turning around, her hands form circles and she places them by her eyes. "We are on da lookout!"

Catching up to Harry and Grace, the family looks for seashells, collecting cool ones they have found. Each shell is talked about and looked over very carefully as Grace adds them to her collection.

"Bug, come here!" Harry says as he reaches his hands into a tidepool. The rocks have created a space where small animals and creatures have been washed up from the ocean.

"I comin!" She says as she slowly makes her way across the rocks towards her father. Harry wraps his arms around her body, pulling her in so she is stable.

"See this right here?" Harry points towards a creature that is stuck to a rock, the hair like tentacles flow in the water. "This is a sea anemone. It's like what Nemo lives in. Would you like to touch it?"

Grace looks at the creature with caution. Squatting slowly, she moves her outstretched finger towards the plant. She is hesitant and pulls back two times before Harry holds her finger, guiding her towards the water. The anemone softly grabs Grace's finger, giving it a light sucking sensation.

"Ah!" Grace pulls her finger back, holding it close to her body. "It gave me kisses." She starts to giggle, reaching her finger out again, allowing the creature to "kiss" her finger once more.

"Mumma! Come get a kiss!" Grace encourages. You climb up on the rock, dipping your finger in the water; you laugh as the creature sucks softly on your digit.

"Dat is AWE-SOME!!!" Grace squeals!

Moving along the beach, the family discovers different shells and rocks, gathering them in Grace's bucket.

"Can we make a castle?" Grace asks Harry as their bucket starts to overflow.

"I think that is a great idea." Harry says with a smile.

The family makes their way over to their towels, plopping their bucket and bums in the sand. Using their hands and the plethora of sand toys, the family builds a castle, much like the one back home in England. The castle is decorated with all the shells Grace found during her hunt.

"I want to live there someday!" Grace says, looking towards her castle.

"I think it's fit for a princess. A princess named Grace!" Harry ruffles her hair before picking her up and kissing her on her forehead. "Last one to the ocean is a silly goose!" Harry bolts towards the water, Grace not far behind.

"You a silly goose, Daddy!" Grace says with a labored breath as she beats her father to the ocean, likely by his design.

"Grace, my love, we have to go! Let's dip our feet in one last time. Okay?" Harry is sad that the day is over, but a day in the sun is exhausting, and there is always tomorrow.

"Can da ocean give me one last hug?" Grace asks, sad but content knowing that she had a fun day.

"One last hug. Together?" Harry holds out his hand, grabbing hold of Grace's and walking towards the water.

The wave crashes against the beach, painting the sand in white foam and cool water. The water pools around their feet before leaving their bodies to go back to its home.

"The ocean gives da best hugs!" Grace smiles, waving goodbye to the ocean as Harry picks her up and throws her over his shoulder.

Smiling towards his wife, Harry's heart feels warm as he is thankful for two girls, who have the ability to love and see the simple pleasures of the world in a beautiful light.