Why I Walk the Beach

The ever shifting and changing nature of the beach makes it an excellent metaphor for the path I walk everyday. Life makes sense when I walk the beach and everything seems possible. As the tide goes out, ocean becomes land right before your eyes - as if by magic! A reminder, if this is possible, anything is possible. You can even walk on water, if only for a moment, at the water’s edge as each wave recedes, knowing miracles are sure to follow.  I am humbled being at the edge of the earth, where the land becomes the sea and the ocean touches the sky.  The immensity of the ocean always puts my thoughts into perspective.

The beach is an accepting place. Every day is a new beginning, a fresh start. Each high tide wipes the slate clean, all is forgiven, allowing you to choose a new path to follow, a new life with new treasures to find. The sun coming up and setting each evening, the tide coming in and going out everyday, it is in these constants I find comfort. You may not know exactly what tomorrow will bring, but you know the sun will rise and the sun will set.  The tide will come in and the tide will recede.  Treasure these everyday comforts. Bad days come and go just like the tides.  The good days will come, treasures will be found and you will find comfort.  When every step on the beach is taken with a measure of gratitude the treasures abound.

A walk on the beach soothes me in a way I often feel, but can seldom explain. It calms my soul, connects me to the earth and grounds me in the universe. I find the beach is much more powerful one on one.  I am drawn to the beach in the early hours of the day to visit with myself, when I am the only person on the beach. I walk with gratefulness for many friends and family, thanking the universe for them with each step.  I sometimes share the beach with the footprints of a lone fox or the flight of a bald eagle. Knowing I am never truly alone. I share my walks with many souls. I walk with the native hunters and gatherers that were fed by this great ocean and find strength in their artifacts washed ashore. I walk with my father, still asking him for advice, receiving signs along the way. I walk with my husband, knowing his ashes are part of the sea, grateful for our time together. I walk with my granddaughter, wanting more time, but knowing it was all she had to give. I walk with memories of my grandson exploring the wrack line together, and know he is off wading in tropical tide pools always finding treasures. I walk with my daughters, on either side of the globe and find comfort in knowing they are swimming and sailing in this same water, for it is all one ocean. I walk seeking the knowledge and virtues of nature and the universe; gratitude, patience, perseverance, forgiveness, trust and love.  In this I find peace. This is why I walk the beach.

When I’m looking for sea glass I bow my head to the world, to my troubles, as if in prayer or as a sign of respect for the universe and set off wandering an uncharted labyrinth. Looking for sea glass isn’t just about finding small treasures on the beach in plain sight. As I walk, I examine my life and realize all the small treasures I hold close in my heart and vow to keep my eyes wide open so as not miss any others that might come my way. I find out a lot about who I am when I walk the beach, what holds my world together.  It’s a good thing to know what holds your world together so that when you feel your world is falling apart, you know the most important things to hold tight.  Kindness and gratitude are what I hold tight. The more grateful I am for the small treasures in my life the larger they become. If I can live my life with kindness and gratitude, I will have lived a good life.