36 – Beaches v1

I dedicate this walk to my readers because these are their words and ideas that I have transformed into a walk. Except for the last image that I’ve credited, the images are mine.

Click the video above for several minutes of background waves as you read.

I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

I take to the beach at dawn, but before sunrise. Dawn is a liminal time – no longer night, yet the day has not begun. Dawn is a time of brilliant changing colors that inspire hope and renewal. 

Walking on the beach frees me from any shackles of life. While the sound of the waves is relaxing, breathing in the sea air is a potent elixir. Feeling the wind on my face lifts me as if I could sail with the currents. As the sand cleanses my soles, the salty air is one of the best smells ever. With all this and more, the beach offers me a chance to find treasures and memories as the water kisses the sand.

Even when the sea is angry, the sounds of the beach are soothing to me. Each breaking wave crashes into the shore, smacking the sand before settling in and then retreating with that magical whoosh sound that will soon be replaced by another. Those rhythmic sounds are reassuring and a surefire way of melting stress and somehow aligning with my heartbeat. The roar of the ocean is stirring and calming at once – a paradox – yet a healthy reminder to respect its power. 

Moving water is hypnotic. Drawing me in seems instinctive because water is life’s blood. Maybe we know water means life and that we are water.

I stop to watch our glowing sun emerge from the sea – an appearance announcing a new day has begun. There is only one sun, and every person on earth shares it. The sun seems to be involved in so much. Acting like humanity’s Swiss Army knife, the sun does it well and more. After all, the sun is one of our teachers for awakening and understanding directions while symbolically showing us how to rest and rise with each day.

Today’s gentle breeze refreshes and renews my energy – yet I know the wind can impose its will. However, the wind can be an instrumental teacher to all of us by showing us when to stop pushing and how to be flexible to allow life to change course on a dime.

I look up at the sky and embrace its immensity, intuitively knowing that we belong to the earth, to the soil that nourishes, and to the air that gives breath. Since Ancient Times, humanity has always wanted to reach the sky – balloons, planes, satellites, and high towers. But, no matter where we stand on the earth, the sky is the anchor above. 

Clouds are the divine artistry on the canvas of the sky. It’s interesting how we think of clouds as emotions that express our psyche. My eyes follow the sky with its clouds across the water to where they meet the water. 

That horizon holds many possibilities for the mystical journey of life. Acting like a tempting carrot held just beyond my reach, the horizons beckoning me, enticing me while saying, “Come little one. Come and see.”

The beach has many shells today – enough to hide the smooth pieces of nature’s glass. While serving as future memories of the past, seashells are like snowflakes; that is, each seashell is unique and one of nature’s abstracts. Yet, shells make me sad as I remember they were homes to creatures of a sea – so seashells remind me that life is transitional.

I spot a heron ahead standing as a solitary sentinel ever watchful for the next meal. Herons are not warm or chipper the way songbirds are, but they have an elegance while serving as a symbol of patience and longevity. The heron reminds me that all the creatures by the sea came alive with their habits and structures that transform each species to adapt to its unique environment. Mother Nature is incredible!

Time has unknowingly passed by me as I walk – yet the tide serves as one of nature’s clocks.  Because they bring the waterline closer to me, tides remind me of the rhythms of life and unstoppability. Ebb and flow is a part of every life in some way. Feeling like my life is at low tide might sound (or be) negative, but when the tide is out, the ocean is gathering itself to come back again.

Footprints on the beach are many. Even if only for a minute or less, footprints are a visible record that I was there. Many footprints will remain for days, only to be wiped away by wind or waves. While footprints are memories, what are memories, dear friends? Is it when our words to each other remain as profound parts of each other?

The sun is lowering. There’s something magical about a good sunset as it paints the horizon with dazzling swirls of colors, depicting its mood, each evening creating a unique masterpiece that soothes the weary heart and delights the eyes. Yet, every day the sun remains the same.

Soon, the day will be over. Dark will envelop this place – but later I will see the moon beautifully and mysteriously shining above while illuminating hearts. It seems the moon and the beach go together perfectly. 

Photo by Jenni Harvey – Used with permission

I will return tomorrow during a time when the new dawn begins to dismantle the gloom and announce a new day of hope. While many footprints will remain and the sounds and waves will still have their rhythm, new shells will appear and the heron will be standing in a different place. I like walking on the beach for it is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet. 

See what other bloggers have written about beaches

• Let’s Go to the Beach (photos and essay)
• Art Inspiration: Beach Paradise (poem and art)
• Beach and Dune: A local walk (photos and essay)
• Open Beach Sunset (photos)
• Birding at the Beach (photos and essay)

Next Post: Beaches v2 – Thursday 4 February @ 1 AM (Eastern US)

Follow Beach Walk Reflections

• Facebook (BeachWalk Reflections)
• Instagram (BeachWalk Reflections)
• Twitter (@ReflectionsWalk)
• WordPress (Follow or Subscribe)

Advertisement