What the ocean taught me in 30 minutes

The view of the ocean was breath taking for me. All I could think about was how many people had stood in this place before me and gazed out onto the ocean. I was overcome by a sense of peace. Water has always been something that brought peace to my soul. My husband and I had lived on a small lake back in Michigan, and when I felt sad, angry, or lost I would go and gaze at the water. 

I looked to find my husband, not realizing how long I was standing there gazing at the beautiful ocean and I saw him gazing as well. My husband isn't one to comment on the beauty of something, but I know he was feeling something. Just look at that stance. 

I then told my husband that I wanted to feel the ocean not just see it. He laughed and told me he wanted to throw me in. I then walked up to the edge of the water- the nervousness I felt was quite odd. Water is water right? How would this feel any different than any other water I had felt before? Maybe because it was something new?

I remembered my stepfather telling me once that when he took my older brother to the ocean for the first time as a toddler, he cried and was afraid of the water. Especially when the waves would come in and reach out towards him. The funny thing was I was feeling the same odd apprehension. 

I stepped forward and let the water rush over my feet. The feeling was amazing. Cold. The water was cold but in a good way. I simply prayed, "Lord, let me learn to overcome my fears. Let your love and spirit overflow my being. I no longer want to walk in fear". 

My husband looked down and found a flat rock. He picked it up and skipped the rock a few times. I smiled remembering skipping rocks with my cousin up in Mackinac. 

I often ponder where life is taking me and where my journey is heading. My husband and I long to start a family- we are praying for a baby in the near future. I then looked down and to my surprise I saw a heart shaped rock. 

I gasped and my heart skipped a beat. I picked it up and said "Thomas! This rock is a perfect heart!" He told me to skip the rock, but I put it in my pocket. It felt like a sign to me.

Today my husband and I decided to take a trip to see the ocean for the first time together. Now that we live in a city that is close to the ocean we thought, why not?

After driving for 10-15 minutes we made it to the Oceanview Park. We took off our shoes and walked quickly across the warm pavement and into the sand. I had never been to the ocean before today, but I had visited the Great Lakes many times in the past. I had long since forgotten the soft feeling of sand on my feet. The soft feeling can also be quite abrasive at times. Sand is an amazing exfolient as I found walking down the beach. 

We snapped a quick picture, documenting our first visit to the ocean together. Then we started walking down the ocean. I looked around seeing children running about and smiling at the ocean. The joy that radiated off of them was just beautiful. 

There were seagulls floating about in the water, happy as can be. It made me remember one of my favorite books I read as a child called Jonathan Livingston Seagull. You can find it here. It was a story about a Seagull who went against everything he was "made" to do and "made" to be. He followed what he loved. That has always stuck with me.  Even though I was afraid to be myself, to be ME. My mind wondered to hell I lived inside my brain in high school. I knew I was a different type of person, but didn't know how to be me. I lacked the confidence to just BE the creature I was created to be. 

After my simple prayer, I looked out at the ocean. Something I have learned is to not only thank God, the higher power, but to also thank the "things" in which we appreciate. We are taught everything has an essence, and energy. You can see this in your own life. Have you ever seen something that immediately makes you happy? That must give off a happy energy huh? I thanked the sand for it's soft and abbrasive qualities- just like life. I thanked the ocean for it's beauty and how to is a home to so many living things. I thanked God for life we cannot always see.

I turned to my husband and told him I loved him and thanked him for bringing me to the beach. He smiled and said a sarcastic "yea yea" and then smiled and kissed me. 

A sign. It could be nothing but a simple heart shaped rock. Could I be looking into this too far? Maybe. Do I think so? Nope!

What did the ocean teach me today? The ocean blew my mind. The beauty in something that so many people take for granted. The soft sand that is also abrasive. That is life for us! Life can be easy at times but sometimes without even knowing it can be abrasive. The ocean coming in so quickly and rushing over my feet, taught me not to give into my fears. To jump in a let myself overcome them. 

Maybe my trip to the ocean wasn't mind blowing to other people. But to me... I'm sure it will be something that I will be thinking about for days. A beautiful experience. 30 minutes can change your life !

Until next time

~~Jes