From the Editor
There’s a special window of time during the summer months when the setting sun illuminates everything beautiful in the world. This fleeting glow coming from the sky makes the ocean glisten with reflective sunrays as the world around us seems to settle into the slowness of a warm summer night. We call this “golden hour” and it passes quickly if you’re not paying attention. When we are able to pause life for a moment and relish in this glowing hour of summer-sunset bliss, we are brought back to what’s most important: time.
We work hard week after week to ensure the delivery of Shore Local on Thursdays then jump in the water on Saturdays with our non-profit organization, Heart of Surfing. Time seems to fly by faster with each passing week. As the saying goes, the days are long but the years are short. The time passes with its inevitable haste whether we slow down for it or not.
Every summer we make sure to carve out time for golden hour at the beach. This week Bob, our two adult daughters, and I took our dogs down to the beach for an evening of laughing, swimming, and simply existing together. Bob and Sarah caught some waves while Holly and I hung back with our pups and enjoyed some much-needed quality time.
When our kids were little, we spent a lot more time enjoying these special moments, but as years have passed and our family dynamic has changed, I am thankful to squeeze in some family togetherness any chance we get. For a parent, a remarkable evening doesn’t require much more than smiles on your kids’ faces and a little uninterrupted time. Any chance I get to spend time with the ones I love will always be a “golden” hour, no matter the weather.
There’s a song by Jill Scott that sings, “living my life like it’s golden.” As I reflect on what makes “golden hour” so magical, I wonder how we can translate that feeling to our entire lives. How can we fill even the busiest moments with the same sense of gratitude that we feel under the glow of the setting sun? How can we make our whole lives glisten a little more? There is beauty and wonder to be experienced in every day. While I make it a priority to carve out unique memory-making experiences with my family, I am inspired to live my whole life as if it were illuminated by the glow of a beautiful sunset.
As you enjoy the last few weeks of summer, I encourage you to think about what it means to live your life like it’s golden. The next time you find yourself watching the sun rise or set, enjoying a mouthwatering meal, or trying a new adventure, challenge yourself to hold onto the moment a little longer. Hold onto the gratitude, the bliss, and the beauty of it all then stick a little bit of the magic in your back pocket for later.
While you’re flipping through these pages, be sure to stop and check out what our local advertisers are offering. Create a “golden hour” memory at a local restaurant or on a tiki boat, take a surf lesson, rent a sailboat, or simply grab your chair and hit the sand on one of our amazing beaches. However you enjoy the last of summer, be safe, have fun, and always support local. Thank you for reading this edition of Shore Local Newsmagazine.
Peace & Love,
Cindy
