Discover Prompt 9: Pairs at Pawleys

09Apr
by Oh, the Places We See

Almost every morning during our one short week vacation at Pawleys Island, South Carolina, I get up before dawn and walk down to the beach. Sometimes I sit on the pilings. Sometimes I stroll and look for seashells, shark teeth and whatever else has washed ashore. Sometimes I just stare at the heavens while colors change and the ocean rolls in.

But this morning, I caught a glimpse of a mother and her daughter, both seemingly happy to be a part of the great outdoors. They, too walked barefoot in the sand, pointing up at clouds, waiting to see the sun. A mother-daughter pair welcoming the day together.

A few minutes later as I sat down to look at the photos I had taken, it occurred to me that the mother might like a copy of this photo to remind her of this moment at Pawleys waiting for sunrise.

But when I looked up from my camera, they were gone. Perhaps beyond the dunes and back in their house. I don’t know. But I’ve never forgotten that missed opportunity to share something special with a person I didn’t even know and may never encounter again.

I felt sad, but I kept walking down the beach looking for whatever might turn up. And there it was: a pair of turtle tracks, the coming and going of a mother turtle laying eggs in the night and then returning to the ocean. And it occurred to me that in some small way, the two pairs could almost be related.

Mothers and children. Before dawn. On the beautiful beach at Pawleys Island.

Rusha Sams

This post is one of a series of one-word prompts for April 2020 called Discover Prompts by WordPress. Enjoy!

28 thoughts on “Discover Prompt 9: Pairs at Pawleys”

      5. Miriam Hurdle

        I’ll try, Rusha. I’m not writing posts as often because I try to work on my future books. But many of my poems were the responses of the daily prompts!!!

  3. The Wandering RVer

    Many times I’ve been fortunate enough to get wonderful images of strangers, I usually try to share them but it doesn’t always happen. I love the way the little girls is looking to her mother, a very special image.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks for the compliment, but really it’s God who gets the credit. Being on the beach, even for one short week, helps me get closer to nature and the beautiful scenery. Thanks for taking time to comment.

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much. It’s interesting to watch the people on the beach in early hours. Mostly we all stand and wait for sunrise, but others look for shells, dip their toes in, or sip coffee on their back porches. I love going there. Thanks so much for the comment.

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      It is most of the time. The town of Pawleys has funded a beach refresh ( I don’t know the exact word). So this summer should be interesting. I’ve heard you can’t see the ground anymore -that’s pretty deep!!

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Those loggerheads come all the way up to the dunes from the sea, Kay the eggs, and then go back to the sea. Babies never meet their mothers. There’s a team that walks the beach each morning checking for nests in harm’s way. If they find one, they move it. It’s awesome to watch!

      Reply

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