That Collection of Moments

Here we are at the beginning of August 2025. It’s been a wild ride full of great music, activities and so much more. August 7th is the astronomical midpoint of summer, as a New Englander it always feels that way to me. So, we are only a few days into summertime halftime.

Last month I vacationed with four generations of family for a week in beautiful Newport Rhode Island. This year I got up early and went out on my own rather than waiting for all the late risers. During my morning walkabouts I encountered many species of birds, I am an avid enthusiast. A gift from my mom when I was a child. She never said, “Ronny, look at the bird.” Instead, she’d tell me the name of the bird. She unknowingly did to me what Mr. Miyagi did to the Karate Kid. My favorite morning hike ended at a secluded stone covered beach beneath a large cliff, the chosen landing pad for more sea glass than I’ve seen in one place. My wife had collected a large bag of the washed glass last year and had left it behind, so I decided to catch her up on her collecting.

On another day we all gathered at the beach. My biological mother had passed over twenty years ago; she is the one who taught me about the birds. She gave us an appreciation of the seashore as well. My cousin Jay commented on how my sister Dawn and I were beachcombing together for over an hour without saying a word to each other. The funny thing is we didn’t have to. During that time, in that collection of moments, we were closer than any two siblings could be.

This year I was the designated grille master, a task I was hoping to pass off to my cousins from Maine. In all I did very well with the assistance of my wife who added the cheese to the burgers and some help from my nephew Triston in bringing the burgers to the table. I shot some video after the last burger was off the grille in which I lovingly referred to my dad, the family patriarch as the "Grand Poobah" and my stepmother, our matriarch as the "Grand Poobess". Video introductions of the rest of my family followed, ending with my eight-month-old grandson Ezme and his camera-shy parents who attempted to escape me.

I put my phone away for the majority of my vacation this year. The absence of the screen seemed to really cleanse my soul and replenish my spirit. I was present in every moment. I didn’t take as many photos as usual, but that’s okay. Others took photos and I have so many great memories etched in my mind. Remember, the past is gone, the future isn’t here yet, all we really have is right now. In that moment before thought is where creation takes place. That’s where God lives.