What My Son Said at the Beach

My son, who is three, saw the ocean for the first time this summer. We drove eleven hours to get there. I was nervous he wouldn't like it.

He stood at the edge of the sand for a long time, staring at the waves. Then he turned around and looked at me, very seriously, and said, "Mama, who made it so big?"

I didn't have an answer. I just picked him up and walked into the water with him. He shrieked when the first wave hit his toes, then laughed, then shrieked again. We spent three hours jumping waves and digging holes and chasing seagulls who were much faster than him.

On the drive home, he asked to go back "tomorrow, and every day." I keep thinking about his question. Who made it so big? I don't know. I'm just glad we got to see it together.