I’m a beach reader. My wife and I have been going on beach vacations since we visited the Cayman Islands on our Honeymoon where I laid on the Seven Mile Beach reading Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. I plan my vacation reads weeks in advance. I purchase them early, save them, and then pack them into my carry-on. I keep them tucked away until I’m settled on the airplane.
Then, once we’re airborne, I dig in. My goal is always to be solidly into the story by the time I hit the beach with a 🥃 rumrunner.
My wife is the same way.
My kids have witnessed this behavior ever since their first beach vacation with us.
They’ve watched their parents lay in the sun and...read. Simply read. On the beach, 🏖 with no phones and no computers. Just a book and a rum drink.
So, when we went to Turks and Caicos this past March and my son and daughter pulled up neighboring chairs to read with us poolside, I had to smile. Not only because they were adopting a tradition their mom and dad love, but also because they were each cozying up with one of my books.
Frisbee in the sand and waterslides, early morning beach walks and pool volleyball, were fabulous parts of the trip. 🐠 Catamaran cruises and reef fishing, too.
Late night dinners and midnight moon viewings are things that made the trip special. I'll remember those things forever. 🥂
But it was the times during the day when we all sat poolside reading our books, so simple and quiet, that made the trip unforgettable.
A "few moments" from those days stand out.
Like when my daughter looked up and said, “Oh. My. God. Dad, this is so good!”
And when my son closed Don’t Believe It and said, “I didn’t see that coming. And I’m not talking about the first twist.”
On those days, the rum was a little sweeter, the ocean breeze 🌊 a bit more refreshing, and life in general pretty good. 😎
For as long as I’ve published books, the tagline on my bio has read: He lives in Chicago with his wife and two young children. 👨👩👧👦
I guess it's time to change that. They’re not that young anymore. At least, they’re old enough to read Dad’s books.
And they're kind enough kids to let me know they like them, which is the best Father’s Day gift I’ve ever received. Even if it came a couple of months early.
Happy Father's Day.
—Charlie Donlea
June , 2019
Tags: #fathersday #vacatioin #family #springbreak #familyvacation #charliedonlea #dontbelieveit #somechoosedarkness #summitlake #books #reading #beachreads #summerreading