Life Unexpected

I never ever say I want to be, I am happy and blessed in so many ways. My dad is 84 today and we are in our home state of NJ. We are here celebrating him, his life, and thus ours. We came here every year of my life as child if not more. I, we have not been here in over a decade and it for the most part has remained unchanged. That in and of itself is amazing, my father is so happy! I am so happy for him, I was afraid if would not be what it had been. It is in so many ways what is was, I am no longer the small adorable red headed child. I am the adult and I love it here. It's a great combo of Key West and OBX, unless you know and trust me you won't believe this but that I am OK with. Cape May is an amazing and perfect place. Yesterday my friend Liz and her family came down. My father met my godson and that is without description. The memories here are strong, they seem to be the salt I am made of! Today hurricane Earl approached, we awoke to the umbrellas and chairs gone and large waves. My dad after an amazing breakfast and island revive wanted to hit the beach. He wanted to say he had gone toe to toe with Earl. He took his shoes off while leaning on me and ventured down. While I was taking photos of my brother on my knees a wave came in. I hopped up in time to grab my dad who was being swept in by the wave, oops and bad daughter. I sadly death gripped him and bruised him badly. He is fine, a little embarrassed but that is his feeling and it is ridiculous. At 84 I want to love life so much that I HAVE to stick my feet in the ocean while a hurricane stirs it up. I want to be loved that much that there is no shortage of people to help me up. My dad told me today I wasn't far off from the older crowd, he was joking. I told him I should be so lucky, how lucky is my dad? How lucky am I? I want my dads life when I am 84. I want to go toe to toe with life no matter what it is, I want to always feel alive. My dad felt that today in so many ways, this is his life.