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Personal Narrative: My Life In Florida

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I first encountered the ocean in 1958; I was ten. Being a map enthusiast, I knew exactly where Florida was, and I was excited to swim in the salty Atlantic Ocean. Born and raised next to frigid Lake Michigan I understood a large body of water as well as a sandy beach, but no book or encyclopedia prepared me for understanding the flavor or immensity of an ocean and its adjoining shore. Arriving at the beach I raced across the hot pure white sand to keep my feet from burning, stopping in wonder when I saw ocean waves gently caressing a seashore that seemed to go on and on forever. I knew I was somewhere special. My family vacationed in Florida every year after that for as long as I can remember as Grandpa and his sister, Mabel, built a home in Vero Beach. We spent long days beachside jumping waves, gliding across them on boogie boards, burying each other in the sand, and building sandcastles as high as we were tall. Grandpa told us we could dig a hole in the sand to China, but the deeper we dug we only found water. Every day we walked to a long gray weathered wooden pier, stooping to pick up seashells, and often attempting to carry more than our hands could hold. Grandpa …show more content…

Whether spending glorious days on Key Biscayne in Florida or walking miles on the Vero Beach shore, I slowly began to sense God’s presence. Surrounded by curving palms, the alabaster beaches of Key Biscayne are paradise and when the tide is out you can walk forever stopping to cool in the dips created by the pull of the ocean current. One year in Florida, sitting in the shallow water of the Gulf of Mexico, and kneading for seashells, I discovered bone white sand dollars. Holding them briefly and gently setting them down, we observed as they slid under the sand. It was in these places that I would walk and cry, sit and weep, talking to a God that I finally understood love me. I found healing and peace and God restored my

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