Going Back

I closed my eyes and I could hear the sound of splashing and giggling, I could see the knowing grin of older ones watching the young, and I could feel the heat of the prairie sun on my freckled skin.  The radio was on, just barely loud enough to be heard, the lyrics softly spilling out amidst the squeals and the conversation lulls.  The hard swish of the ball hitting the water after someone retrieved it. The taste of both the chlorine and the salty all-dressed chips on my lips.

When I opened my eyes once again, the sound quieted to a murmur, I licked the salt off my lips but the prairie sun remained warm and enveloping. 

My heart swelled a little as I decided to take a picture, just in case there was a chance I could steal another moment back there again.

It was my 31st birthday and the greatest gift I received was that moment.

In a world that sometimes overuses profound adjectives for mundane events, it was awesome to have such deep, rich memories to go back and visit every now and again.

I am now, as I was then, truly blessed.

Happy birthday to me, indeed.