Anne Morrow Lindbergh says, "To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea."
I have been that person who goes out to find as many sand dollars as I could carry; to urgently grab the treasures I found on the beach. That is changing. Now that I have the luxury of living, full time, in this place I love so much, I am becoming more patient. I don't need to pick up every bone I find. I don't need to grab all the sand dollars - although I was super excited to find handfulls of sand dollars in Manzanita last weekend to share with some of my most favorite people ever. I don't have to be present for every high tide. The reality of living here is that, along with everyone else, I have a job and laundry and floors to mop and a dog to walk and sometimes I'd rather sleep in than wake up for the 4 am clamming. But don't think for a moment I take any of it for granted. I am learning patience. I am learning trust. I am learning faith.
And now that I'm closing in on nearly a year by the sea, I'm feeling a little wild and salty (I'll see you in March, Joan Anderson!).
Here is today, on the beach, in Seaside. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Today.
Subtle Differences
Today
the ocean smells unusually
fishy.
A subtle difference to
a student of the sea.
Odd gull behavior too.
A couple dozen instead
of the couple hundred
who nip cat food
from my hands.
Perhaps better pickings
elsewhere and
while unable to identify
the source of the smell
I am sure I will.
In time.
The ocean’s time which
I would argue
is different from
beach time.
beach time.
I loved Anne"s book. My favorite gift to give. :)
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