The Beach

The beach is the single best place for children. They can run and roam and explore and throw things and make messes and get dirty and no one gives them directions or scolds them or asks them to put away their toys. They enter their own world and grow from all they experience around them. For a child with CP, the beach offers even greater benefits. For Alex, the beach has meant a peaceful, quiet setting to think. The sound of the waves has lulled him into long and deep sleeps for countless naps. Alex usually walks barefoot in the sand, which provides natural stimulation to his left foot and uneven landscape to help improve his balance. He throws rocks for hours and hours, and on occasion, will generously pass a small stone from his right hand to his left to allow lefty a toss. Together, as a family, we have watched the sun rise and set, discussing the colors we see in the sky and the shapes of the clouds. We listen for boats and air planes and seagulls. When the water warms up, Alex will wade in as deep as he can safely go and then splash around with my help. Water therapy. Soul therapy, for all of us. Now that Alex's sister, Izzy, is 14 months old, she has begun throwing rocks, too, learning quickly all the skills Alex has laboriously acquired in his 2 1/2 years.

We have been fortunate to have had beautiful spring weather this week, and many adventures at the beach. I used to run on the beach, but it puts stress on my ankles and knees, so I save my running for the road and trails. This weekend, Erik and I tried our new Vibram Five-Finger shoes, which allow you to run basically barefoot while offering thick rubber protection for your feet. We are new converts to the idea of barefoot running. We ran 65 minutes on Sunday on trails with no side effects from kicking off our padded running shoes. The book Born to Run turned us on to the idea, and we may never look back. I may even do my Ironman barefoot.