Let it go

Fire on the beach

John's photo: Jumpkelping

     I returned from Evanston on a Wednesday.  On Thursday I shopped and did laundry.  On Friday I cooked.  On Saturday we drove to Manzanita.  Judy dropped me off at the library cottage, where I cleaned for the next four hours.  Then we joined John and Rose at the small house we rent together, and spring vacation began.

Rob's photo: Judy and Gracie

     Chas and Kris had the house next door, along with their daughter Jenny and her family.  Jess and her family and friends were staying at house a few blocks away.  Our first vacation plan  was to meet Jess and Rob's new puppy, a springer spaniel named Gracie.  Our second was to walk to the bakery every morning before they sold out of cinnamon rolls.  We didn't have a third.

Josh chooses a tune

     The kids played jump rope with bull kelp, Jamie singing the jump rope songs at the top of her lungs.  Our house had a player piano, and Josh tried out Great Balls of Fire in between card games.

Rob and Gracie

    The weather was superb, but often windy.  Rose remembered the good time that Tina had organized last summer, gathering everyone on the beach for a fire to make s'mores. Each evening this spring break seemed too windy for a beach fire.  Finally, on our last night, John lit a fire at dusk.  Rose and I positioned chairs around, got the marshmallows and Hershey bars ready, and waited in the dark for the kids to appear.  The moon was almost full.  We heard the girls before we saw them.  They ran up the beach from the tall sand dune about four blocks away singing  Let it Go, a song from  the movie Frozen, 
     In Frozen, the young queen has to hide and rigidly control her powers,  to the extent that she goes into exile to protect people from them.  She finally lets herself loose, singing, "Let it go!  Let it go!"
     My friend  Linda told me about a woman she knows.  The woman hesitates to speak, and follows everything she says with a question or a glance for reassurance. There are still pressures on young girls to stifle their power.  Hearing my nieces running on the beach at night, singing strong, makes me happy and confident that they will prevail over the influences that would mute them.

John's photo: Let it go