The Sand Dollar

Although fictional this short story is based on an actual event that occurred in the author's life

The wind whipped Tyler's chin-length, wavy, blonde hair around while salt water sprayed his face as he stood on the beach in Astoria.  He felt a sense of sadness as he thought of his high school years ending and a little bit of fear as he thought of the unknown that loomed ahead after graduation.  All fifty members of his senior class had taken a week long trip to commemorate their time together. It was being here and experiencing this senior rite of passage with his entire class was what had finally caused the upcoming graduation to become a reality for him. The trip so far had been filled with excursions to restaurants, golfing, cultural events and other assorted attractions that their class adviser had planned for them to do while visiting in Oregon. 

The best part of the trip though was right here at the edge of the Pacific ocean.  He stared across the endless water imagining all the activity going on below the surface and feeling a sense of awe as the waves crashed onto the shore.  It was here that he had always felt closest to God.  It was here in front of the oceanic magnificence that a sense of peace always seemed to flow over him.  He sighed wishing that time could stand still for fear that this moment, this sense of calm would be forgotten. It was then that God spoke "I am with you always". 

 He looked around thinking that perhaps someone was playing a trick on him. There was no one in sight.  "Even unto the ends of the earth" God's voice whispered in his mind as it drove out fear and replaced it with an overwhelmingly warm sense of  joy. 

"Whatever you ask me to do from now on, I will do it" Tyler promised God knowing that this was a turning point in his life, a stepping stone to the adult life that lay ahead.

He began to look up and down the beach hoping to find something that could serve as a reminder of the promise he had just given.  His allowance had already quickly dissipated so buying something from one of the local gift shops was not an option and somehow didn't seem appropriate.  What he hoped to find was a shell that had been spit up and abandon by the waves on the sand.  The more he wandered down the beach, the more his spirit sank as he realized how barren it was. 

 "Please" He begged God, "Please let me find just one sand dollar to take home with me."  No sooner had the short prayer ended when he heard his friends, who had traveled ahead, start shouting for him. 

Tyler's muscular legs carried him quickly to the mound of sand that Mark and Jamie stood next to as they waited for him.  Once there, his mouth dropped open in astonishment. He stared at the large mound of sand, in the midst of the beach, that was covered by hundreds of sand dollars.    What had once been a barren beach, had suddenly become the ocean's treasure chest.  

Once Tyler recovered from the initial shock, he joined his friends as they examined and collected the sand dollars.  None of them were perfect, but they would do.  The nice thing was that there was plenty for them to share with the rest of the group once they returned to the chartered bus.  They collected as many as they could possibly carry and then turned to leave. 

Unexpectedly, Tyler felt disappointment creep into his mind as he realized that not one of the sand dollars had been without a flaw.  How typical it was of his human nature to be discontent even though God had provided all the sand dollars they could possibly carry. 

 "Learn to be satisfied with what you have" Tyler's conscience scolded as he reluctantly agreed.

He started to walk slowly down the beach towards the waiting bus. Suddenly he was stopped in his tracks. He instinctively looked down and there laying at his feet was the biggest and most perfect sand dollar he had ever seen. He picked it up, breathed a quick "Thank you" to God and slipped it into the pocket of his swimming trunks.

As he ran to catch up with his friends he found himself more and more excited to show off his newly discovered prize.  Once there, he found that Mark and Jamie had stopped to talk to a small group of strangers. On closer inspection he found them to be a family, a young boy tightly gripping his mother's hand and secured in the father's arms sat a little girl.  She turned to stare shyly at Tyler as he approached the group.  It immediately struck him that something was different about her.  He didn't wonder for long though as he instantly recognized the signs of Down's syndrome, the same disorder his cousin had.

The group's conversation turned to talk about seashell hunting as the boys showed off their collection and explained where they had found the many sand dollars. 

 "In fact, I found this one there" stated Tyler as he pulled the treasured sand dollar from his pocket. The little girl's eyes lit up and she beamed as she reached out for the beautiful sand dollar.  Cautiously, Tyler relinquished his prize so she could hold and admire it.  She turned the shell over and over in her hands, babbling happily and then waving it about. 

After a few minutes though the father gently prompted "Okay, sweetheart, give the young man back his sea shell"

"No!" the little girl pouted as her lip trembled and tears began to fill her almond shaped eyes.  Fear clutched at Tyler's heart as he thought of the possibility of not getting his perfect sand dollar back.

"Sweetheart, it's not yours.  We have to give it back.  We will find another one for you." her father tried to reassure her.

It was obvious she knew what a treasure she held in her hands for the tears that had been building up spilled out as her father gently pried the sand dollar from her hands so he could hand it back to Tyler.  The family turned and walked away and Tyler watched as the little girl peered back at him with red, swollen eyes, her small lip quivering. He felt a small twinge of guilt shoot through him. 

"Tyler" whispered a voice,  "What you have done for one of the least of these my children, you have done it unto me."  A picture of the joy on the little girl's face as she held the treasured object flashed in Tyler's memory. Despite feeling a deep ache at the thought of losing the perfect treasure, he knew what he needed to do. The promise that Tyler had previously vowed about doing whatever God asked rang in his head but he felt confused.  Why would God ask him to give up the very thing he had prayed for and God had so immediately provided?

He paused for only a second and then trusting that God knew best, he turned and jogged toward the direction that the family had headed. He finally caught up with them at the stretch of beach covered in sand dollars.  

 " Excuse me, sir?  he panted out trying to catch the father's attention. The entire family turned to look at him. He pulled the perfect sand dollar out of his pocket and placed it in the little girl's outstretched hands.  A beam of pure joy crossed her small face as her dad asked "Are you sure?"  

Without any doubt in his mind, Tyler nodded as he felt something strange start to happen inside of him. All the fear, resentment and selfishness he'd been holding on to melted away only to be replaced by a sense of total peace and happiness that he had never experienced before.  Without giving the family a chance to respond further, Tyler sprinted out of sight. 

It was then that he realized why he had been asked to give away the perfect sand dollar. The memory of the little girl's happiness as she was given the sand dollar was far more special and brought more happiness than any sand dollar could. Tyler knew that this one day of his senior class trip would never be forgotten.  For as God had provided a lamb for Abraham in biblical times, so God had provided an unforgettable souvenir for Tyler, a memory of unrestrained joy.

Author's Note

I wrote this about 23 years ago, but never did do anything with it. I found it the other day missing the first page so here is my first attempt at recreating it. Please provide constructive criticism as you see fit. I would like to know if the scenario is easy to envision as you read it. I know that some of you don't believe in a higher power so I appreciate your feedback even if you don't.