A Day In the Life....

Coffee in the morning, in this chair, rocking as I watch the waves and the people settling in on the beach. At 8:00 every morning the life guards set up the chairs and umbrellas for sunbathers to rent...they took them down every day at 4:00 p.m.

I'd contemplate life, or read my book, or close my eyes and feel the sun on my cheeks and warming my feet. Just being happy to be in this place, in this moment.

I'd slip into my flip flops to make my way down to the beach and pull them off as soon as I hit the sand. It's hot, even at this early hour of the morning and I revel in the feel of the sand sifting between my toes...it's so clean and white and soft. These flip flops make me laugh...once wet, they turned the bottom of my feet navy blue...

Just beyond this entry path, the vastness of the Atlantic ocean and the strand of beach awaits...

The heat on the beach, rising in the air at 9:30 a.m. Already the crowds have descended to beat the 85 degree and climbing heat (it reached 102 this day, August 11th) and I make my way along the surf as I enjoy my walk and feel the tug of the tides underneath me, making me feel I'm walking sideways as the sand slips out from underneath my feet. I look at all these people and I hope they are wearing sun screen. I feel my years as I realize I am no longer the girl who dons the bathing suit, slathers on the suntan lotion and roasts myself in the sun. But I smile as I see them, the young girls and young men, the older men and women who are still living that dream...let me grab these rays, these moments and pack in as much as I can in a short time...I understand too well that philosophy...it is life after all.

I stop for a moment and watch the roll of the waves as they crash towards the shore. I realize it's more than a moment and I lose track of time and how long I am actually standing there mesmerized by the sound and the sight. This is what I came for, this is what I was seeking...the calm, the comfort, the soothing rush into my soul. To know that I am part of this universe, even a small part and to appreciate where I fit into this plan...

I step forward, one foot to feel the coolness of the first touch and how refreshing it feels....

and step firmly into the surf and dig my toes deeply into the mud...and I realize how small I am in comparison to the vastness around me. Even holding tight to the sand, it shifts beneath me and I am reminded that I cannot control this or anything else that is bigger than me...some things are just meant to be respected and appreciated. There are some things that you just cannot fight and it must be where the term "go with the flow" originated. If it isn't, it ought to be.

In the evening I am back in my chair...rocking and listening as darkness descends. We've walked on the beach and enjoyed the cooler air and the mystery of the ocean as it moves on your feet but you can't see it, only feel it. Every sense is alive, senses we forget to use in our everyday lives. There are fireworks usually every evening. Though the signs say "no fireworks on the beach" I am thrilled that there are some who are prepared to rebel and risk, to "disobey" as I enjoy the lights in the sky and hear the oohs and aahs of the children as they watch the magic burst forth. It feels like the pops and the bursts of colour are coming from within me.

It's a good day. Every moment of it.