Commentary by Danielle Pelkey

The North Jefferson News



Over the weekend, I made an executive decision to go to the beach with the women of my family.

This trip included myself, my mom, my sister and two of my aunts. We set out on Friday and returned home on Sunday.

We stayed at my aunt’s beach house, so the cost was minimal. The only issue I had with going on this trip was that I had to leave my baby for two nights. This proved to be easier than I thought, since she showed no signs of remorse as I left her on Friday morning.

On the way to the beach — a five hour trip — my husband called and said that he was having some horrible physical pains and he was heading to the doctor’s office. While there, he decided to call and tell me that the doctors said it didn’t look good and they were waiting on X-rays.

This stopped us in our tracks for about 30 minutes. I didn’t want to, but I figured I would be heading back home in a matter of minutes. He called back and said that things were all right and he would just be laid up in the bed for the next few days. I set out like a free woman for the next three days, or so I thought.

When you think of going to the beach, you see nothing but yourself, looking tan and skinny laying on the beach with nothing but the ocean in your ears. It’s just a wonderful, fake picture that we make up in our minds to convince ourselves that there is no place as wonderful as the beach.

When we finally got there, we set out for our main objective, getting in the ocean. I went straight out to the water and within 10 minutes I had been stung four times by jellyfish.

When the fourth one wrapped about my hand to sting me, I was out. I didn’t get back in water past my ankles for the rest of the time we were there. That night I started getting a virus and felt badly for the rest of the weekend.

So, with a sick husband on my mind, leaving my daughter for the first time and the over-abundance of jellyfish, I was ready to just pass out.

As the night wore on, it was great to sit around with the women of my family and just talk. We talked about everything from men to work.

As we sat there talking, I remembered the real reason I had set out on this retreat. It really wasn’t about the water or the sand, it was about spending time with these wonderful women who had so deeply impacted my life.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them and I plan on doing it again before time gets away with me.