Lens-Artists Challenge #193 – Birthdays

WHO’S ON GUARD ??

“Life is a collage of events, really.”

Mohanial

This week John has asked us to feature a special birthday event (or several of them). I’m fortunate that my everyday life is something I celebrate, and because birthdays aren’t high on my list of favorite things, this one was extra challenging for me. My family and I do share one very special annual event each year however – our “Family Beach Week”, hence my focus for this week. Hopefully John will excuse the fact that it’s not truly a birthday event.

BUSY DAY AT THE BEACH

“It’s the little things that make happy moments, not grand events.”

Sharon Draper

I come from a large family which when assembled includes nearly 30 people including my siblings, their spouses and their children and grandchildren. We are located across the country and each year it becomes a bit more difficult to bring everyone together. That said, our annual “beach week” typically ends up with 25 or more of us, so clearly it’s a priority event for all.

LEFT BEHIND

“We should count our blessings more than our happenings.”

Ana Claudia Antunes

Each year my husband and I make a 2-day drive north to share a week of fun and chaos with family members. My husband was shell-shocked the first few years, as he comes from a much smaller family, but he’s long-since become as crazy as the rest of us 😊.

HAPPY CRAB

“The event is not over until everyone is tired of talking about it.”

Mason Cooley

We share meals (including an annual hardshell crab fest), music (including a naming competition),an annual T-Shirt commemorating the event (Happy Crab above was our featured Tee one year), sand sculpting, games and camaraderie as we get to know the newest family members and update ourselves on each others’ lives. The challenge of our “commute” becomes more difficult with each passing year, but we ever-more-clearly recognize the importance of reconnecting in-person with those we love.

INTO EACH LIFE A LITTLE RAIN MUST FALL

“Life’s journey is one big path with a series of events.”

Lailah Gifty Akita

As shown above, it’s not always sunny and warm, and a few times it’s been beastly hot and is always crowded. It’s not the beach or the weather we seek however, rather it’s the time spent with loved ones from near and far. Making the extra effort to share one small set of treasured moments each year has become, for us, a very special event.

A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS

“Mile by mile one hits the milestone.”

Amit Kalantri

At the end of our return drive, brutal as usual, my husband and I swear we’ll never make the trip again. Yet here we are with our 2022 lodgings booked and our sights set on seeing everyone again this summer. A combination of Covid and our growing families has meant the end of our annual Christmas gathering and we are determined not to let the same thing happen to Family Beach Week.

Sincere thanks to John for the opportunity to reminisce about our special event. Now back to you – are you featuring a birthday, another celebration, or some event that’s special only to you? Whatever you choose, please remember to link your response to John’s original here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. Thanks also to Amy for last week’s Earth Story challenge. We saw earth from top to bottom, from sea to shore and from the mountains to the prairies. It was a marvelous display of Mother Earth’s many gifts as well as a number of reminders to protect her more fervently that we historically have.

As always, we thank you for joining us and hope you’ll be with us again this week and next, when Sofia leads our challenge on her Photographias blog. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

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Tags: beach, Family, LENS-ARTISTS, Photo essay, photography

• April 3, 2022
• Photography
• 125 Comments