When my great-grandmother came to America from Russia, her family settled in Worcester, Massachusetts. There she met my great-grandfather, another Jewish immigrant, and raised her three children. Concerned that living in an industrial town would be bad for their health, she took her children to a nearby beach town every summer. For my grandfather, Minot Beach became an oasis where he could not only breathe fresh air, but also visit his extended family. When he grew up and began working for the US State Department, he moved his four daughters all around the world. But every few years between overseas assignments, he brought them back to the same beach town where he spent his childhood summers. My mother recalls that it is the only place where her family ever returned. Of course, my sister and I grew up summering in Minot as well, visiting our aunts and grandfather, who retired there. In his later years, he walked the beach every morning collecting sea glass. He had four pieces turned into necklaces for his daughters, one of which has been handed down to me. I wear it whenever I need strength or want to feel grounded. My family has migrated quite a bit, but I know that Minot will always be a place where I can return and be surrounded by the love and history of my family.

– Amanda Toomey

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