When our children were young, every summer my family would make its annual pilgrimage to the beach. Over the years we have watched our daughters and their cousins grow up with interests changing from sandcastle building to skim boarding. I love to awaken early and walk along the cool, white sandy beach, spending time with God. When our girls woke up, they would hit the beach, not wanting to miss one precious moment of fun. I loved to lie back in my chair listening to their laughter and screams as an occasional wave overtook them. At the end of the day, nothing that swam was safe as we hit out favorite seafood restaurants. These memories we will all cherish forever.
In the summer of 2008, I had the great privilege of visiting another beach as well.  Traveling with an amazing group of high school students from West Tennessee and Arkansas, we visited Omaha beach in Normandy, France. No sounds of laughter could be heard there.