Wednesday Gratitude #2 at Heart and Home: The Ocean

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus

Hello, and greetings to you all on this second Wednesday Gratitude! I hope you are having a wonderful day, are warm and dry, safe and fed, content and loved! Thank you for stopping by Heart and Home, and for joining the party and sharing the little things that make you happy and make your hearts sing. MckLinky is at the bottom of this post, go ahead and link in!

We took a trip down the coast  to spend some time with my dad. I grew up on the central coast, and the ocean there is not the type that most people typically think of when they think "California beaches." The wind and currents are strong, the waves are rapid and rough. There are rip-tides. The sand dunes bear little resistance to the constant onslaught of wind and water, and as a result they are constantly shifting and moving. As children we were cautioned to stay out of the water, to never turn our backs to the sea, and to stay low behind the sand dunes to stay out of the wind. We built berms to lean against, shoveled holes for fire pits, and stayed bundled up in layers of sweatpants, sweaters and scarves when we went to the beach.

I'm grateful for the days my family spent together on these beaches, huddled together in the wind, sand and sea spray. We'd take long walks along the shore with our pant legs rolled up, get our feet wet, hunt for clams, and eat our picnics to the sound of the pounding surf, next to the warmth of a crackling driftwood fire.

Some days, when it was warmer, I'd find a spot by myself among the sand dunes and lay with my face in the sun, and daydream. Often, I'd feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness as I stared out to the sea and watched my sisters playing together.

I remember the never-ceasing wind and the sand whipping in my face, my tangled hair, and my cold, stiff hands. Usually, we were the only people on the beach and I'd feel small and inconsequential, dwarfed by the vastness of the shore and the sea.

 

I remember sitting on the dunes and watching the powerful waves with a sense of awe. When I got older, feeling restless and unsure about my future, I would take a book and a sandwich with me to the beach. I thought I might find some answers if I sat awhile and read, and watched the waves. I rarely opened my book, but rather stared out to sea. It was a meditation of sorts, and I always came home feeling better about my life, and more hopeful about my future.

Those beaches are a part of me. The time I spent on them as a child helped turn me into the person I am today. I still have questions, I still get feelings of restlessness and insecurity about my future. I still go down to the ocean to reflect. I almost always come home feeling better about things. I am still in awe, and grateful for the wonder and beauty of the ocean.

"Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds."  Lucy Maud Montgomery Anne of Green Gables

Thank you, my friends for stopping by today. Don't be a lurker, leave a message! I look forward to seeing your Gratitude posts. I'll drop by to see all of you as quickly as I can. I'd love it if you'd spend some time visiting each other, too, and remember to tell your friends about Wednesday Gratitude! See you soon.

Until next time,
XO
Heidi

I'm  also linking in to Outdoor Wednesday, at A Southern Daydreamer. Thanks Susan!