Another Side of Sunset

Tramore Beach, Co. Waterford

The sun was breathing its last over Tramore Beach when I took this photograph a few nights ago. All eyes seemed to be focussed on the golden hues that were embroidering the sea as it gleamed under the watchful eye of Tramore town up on the hill.

But somehow I couldn’t keep my gaze off this little boy with his back to all that. He reminded me of all the evenings that I have sought to eke the very last drop out of days spent at the beach, especially as Summer holidays draw to a close and school looms on the horizon.

He personified the craving for freedom that has always been part of my very being. Oblivious to, or delighting in, the waves soaking his bright red, flapping coat, he played in the waves and then stood still in what seemed like a moment of  lingering oneness with a place where he had found peace, happiness and hope.

I’ve known those moments; they are what sustain me through the storms of life.  Memories carved in sands with the sea absorbing the layers of emotion;  a treasure trove of memories in a shell box that houses those secret securities that we all need.