It began as a carefree beach trip with two young families. The morning had begun perfectly, with a cloudless June sky. The sun gloriously beamed from the sky and reflected from the white sands. The waves were at low tide, so there was plenty of wet sand for walking on the ocean’s edge.

When it happened, we were preparing our three small children for the beach with sunscreen, swimsuits, sippy cups, and sand toys. Our oldest wanted to step out onto the small balcony of the rental condo overlooking the beach. I picked her up and we stepped out to enjoy the view and the unique sounds of the ocean.

The other family had made it out to the sand a few minutes ahead of us. The dad had lifted his oldest daughter and walked her into the ocean, in waist-deep water, enjoying the mild waves cresting as they met the shore. The moment seemed perfect.

That was when I saw the shark.

Gauging the shark in comparison to my friend, it was roughly six or seven feet long. It wasn’t a massive creature from the movies, but it was clearly a shark, and its circular approach brought it to within a dangerously close distance.

In this earthly life, there is no doubt that I have never yelled as loudly or as zealously as I did in that one moment. My daughter thought I was yelling playfully and joined in. Hearing his name, he glanced up and waved.

Carefully but joyfully holding his daughter in ocean water only waist-deep, my friend stood completely unaware of the lurking danger.

Exaggerated waving, signaling him to come out of the water, somehow worked. He walked her out of the ocean and I hurried down to let them know what had happened.

The lifeguard later dismissed it as a sand shark that was probably harmless, but just a few weeks later, two different shark attacks in the area made national news. The thought of a friend and child, within easy reach of a circling shark, still inspires appreciation for the joys of life, including safety.

Memories hold a special power to inspire and challenge us. Using the written word to capture and share memories stands as one of the great thrills of a writer’s life.