There is no doubt that some of my most vivid and happy memories were made on family holidays. For our family it was always at the beach. A place where the moment you feel the sand scrunch between your toes you feel lighter and happier about life.

That’s how I feel about the beach now, back when I was a kid, it was a place where you could run free. Scream and laugh at the top of your lungs, splash and surf in the waves, make friends with whoever was playing on the water’s edge and build sandcastles and dig out deep exciting moats.

Lunch was bought at the beach kiosk, a sausage roll with lots of sauce and a chocolate Big M was my order of choice. When you were a kid – life didn’t get any better than that.

We holidayed at Lorne, on Victoria’s surf coast every year. We joined the same families on the beach in exactly the same spot. In fact we took up much of the beach with the dozens of towels, surfboards, umbrellas and every other bit of beach paraphernalia you could possibly imagine. My mum would either be sitting in a beach chair or standing on the water’s edge watching me swim and my older brothers surf.

The happiest memories

I can picture the scene all these years later very clearly, like a photograph which is stored in the part of my brain which files memories. The happiest ones.

It’s funny because I have travelled overseas and to far more luxurious places than the beach at Lorne in my lifetime but this is the holiday my brain automatically flicks to when I recall my childhood memories.

My little girl Ruby is nearly 3 and summer this year was fun. We were at the beach and some days were even spent at Lorne. It just feels like my summers should be spent there.

As I looked at her building sandcastles and squealing with delight as she waded in the shallows, I saw myself as a little girl, doing exactly the same thing. Simple old fashioned fun.

This year we even had a girls’ day at the beach; my mum, Ruby and me. 3 generations enjoying our summer holiday tradition. I know Ruby is young but wouldn’t it be wonderful if she remembers that day? I hope she does, it was fun.

Precious time with our children

I saw quote on Instagram not long ago which read along the lines of “We get 18 delicious summers with our children. This is one of your 18. If that’s not perspective I don’t know what is”

Those words hit home because I know it will be most likely even less. I already know a 16- year-old Ruby will probably prefer to sit with her girlfriends on the beach rather than her mum and dad.

So this summer was precious and the next few will be even more so.