A Day At The Beach

An elderly man approaches his daughter with a request: he’d like to spend a day with his five year old grandson at the beach. The daughter readily agreed, asking the usual questions pertaining to when, where, and whether they’d all meet at the beach or at the house. The man then explained that he wanted a day out alone with his grandson so they could bond and create memories of a lifetime.

The daughter was reluctant to allow her father to be the sole guardian of the child at the beach. She worried that her dad, at age 82, would not have the stamina nor quick reaction to properly supervise his grandson and keep him safe. Far too many potential dangers at the beach to be comfortable, thought the daughter. But the old man would not take no for an answer. He reminded his daughter that he had done a pretty good job keeping her safe during her youth, and that he had not slowed down a single iota throughout the years. The man continued to argue his position and he eventually wore his daughter down; if he’d be super careful with his grandson, she’d permit a few hours for them to be together at the beach.

The old man was elated and he began planning the day. He promised to have his grandson home by dinner, keep an eagle eye on him, and ensure the application of plenty of sunscreen. The day of the outing it was not clear who was more excited, the grandfather or the grandson. The daughter, reluctant, nervous, but trusting in her father, kissed her son goodbye, telling him to listen to his grandfather.

As the old man set up the blanket and umbrella at their preferred spot on the beach, the boy couldn’t wait to get into the surf. The boy asked if he could put his feet in the shallow waters of the tide; the old man told him not to go any farther than where the surf might cover his feet. Elated, the boy trotted to the damp sand and waited for the surf to come in. Suddenly, and very unexpectedly, a 20-foot swell hit the beach, taking the boy and everything within 10 feet of him out to sea.

The old man sees this and absolutely panics! He runs up to the surf and looks in all directions, but there is no sign of his grandson. He yells for him at the top of his lungs, but to no avail. How could this be happening? Exactly as his daughter had feared. He walked out into the surf as far as he could, but it was no use. His grandson had been swallowed by the powerful ocean. How could he ever explain this to his daughter?

He dried himself off, got down on his hands and knees and prayed. He reminded God that he has been a compliant parishioner, had never broken a single commandment, had given to charity, helped the poor and downtrodden, and, in his mind most importantly, he’d never asked God for any consideration to date. Could the Lord see through this and fix this horrible situation for him? All of a sudden, another 20-foot wave crashed against the beach, delivering the grandson directly on the blanket. The boy was giggling and didn’t have a scratch on him.

The old man, euphoric that his prayer was answered and his grandson was safe, looked to the skies and proclaimed to God, “He had a hat!”