The Moment

It is rumored to be the last warm weekend of the year, and there was only one sensible thing to do, despite this being my prelim-prep month. The four of us trouble-makin' Tamayo's went to the beach!

One thing that I love about the beaches in Chicago is how urban they are. We usually go to Ohio Street Beach, which is right next to downtown, with towering glass edifices sticking their chests directly out to the wide open lake. As the sun moves across the west side of the sky, their shadows pierce eastward and sweep toward the beach (the beach in this location is north-facing).

After we had been in the shadow of one of these beasts for a chilly 30 minutes, I noticed the tops of just a couple of waves were glowing. I was holding Tula all wrapped up in a towel, when I told Bubs that the sun must have been reflecting off of a building in just the right way to do this. I kept watching until it became a fine trace of sunlight. It widened- only slightly- as it swept closer to the shore, where Torin was still kicking the waves as they broke.

I saw it coming, tucked Tula into her chair and hustled with my camera to catch these:


It wasn't a reflection at all, but the sun itself slipping through a sliver between two buildings. Just for a moment, he was in it...


... and just like that, it had passed.


Without any sadness or longing and not even relief, a new moment began. And then another, and another.

...