La Rue Bijou - Feeling Grounded

 

 One of the beaches on 30A in Santa Rosa Beach, a place to be grounded in nature

 

  

The term grounded has numerous connotations. Some of which are negative when parents ground kids for behavior or when an airplane cannot fly for various reasons. The term is used in dance to refer to body position (alignment, weight distribution) and movement. Dancers are firmly connected to the floor yet light on their feet. In many physical and intellectual endeavors, grounded refers to a mental focus, an awareness of the present moment—athletes, scientists and writers and artists. . . .

For me, relationships (family, friends, pets and neighbors), dance practice or walks in nature have become critical these days to enable mental, physical and psychological well-being—that sense of being grounded. 

 

This past weekend, I spent three days with my son and his family in the Florida Panhandle. We didn’t have a schedule and focused on spending time together. My 10-year old grandson and I walked to the beach and then along 30 A, discussing topics such as illusions—what different people see in drawings, which led to a mention of the Gestalt (paradigm) shift and its application to scientific discovery. 

He brought up his joy in having a 5-year-old brother and mentioned the “reveal”moment—whacking a softball that exploded a blue powder. We talked about people with illnesses and problems of access to healthcare. He shared thoughts about books he is reading—The One and Only Ivan along and the series City Spies. Many interesting discussions occur with a kid this age!  

 

We attended a soccer practice, along with a multitude of families, who brought beach chairs and refreshments for the 90-minute sessions. We made time for endless games of Monopoly.

 

 

 

The kids showed me former school projects displayed in the dining room window. We talked about assignments for fifth graders (shown under the cat) as well as for preschoolers. 

 

 The resident cat guards homework assignments. 

 

Ice cream at Kilwin’s, a chocolate shop in nearby Sandestin 

I watched as the kids and their dad played video games (Fortnite). My last evening, I babysat. The parents returned by 9 p.m. to find us asleep in front of the TV. 

There was nothing banal about the weekend. It provided a chance to recharge, reconnect and become grounded.  And it enabled me to focus on what's important and to overlook some of the minor "inconveniences" of life. 

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