Quiet Reflections From The Beach.
Carolina Beach, North Carolina.
Today is Day 4 of our vacation at the beach.
We are in Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Sand dunes…sea oats…and salt marshes.
The beach is such a recharging place for my soul.
The ocean waves crashing.
The pelicans dipping low onto the horizon, skimming the surface, looking for their next meal.
The seagulls swooping down to search for a stray piece of food left along the shore.
The breeze gently blowing, lightly scented, carrying the salt that lands upon your lips.
Rising in the quiet.
The world seems late in waking up when you are on beach time.
I think that’s because the revelry lasts well into the evening.
Given the fact that I have three teenagers, our mornings start late as well.
So quite often, I sit on the balcony, sipping my coffee, basking in the silence, and watch the world come awake.
I walk to the shore before the crowds of people begin to claim their spots.
An ocean in constant motion.
Ebbing and flowing.
Just like life.
Moments of frantic and moments of peace.
Sometimes the waves come in and gently kiss the shore.
Other times, they demand that their presence be acknowledged.
I am reminded that we humans have a tendency to be like the waves.
Quiet and gentle.
Loud and attention seeking.
Ever changing.
I watch my daughter as she surfs.
She feels a kinship with the ocean as well.
While I admire its gentle nature, she embraces its power.
I have watched her surf the ocean waves since she was in the single digits.
And now, at 13, I begin to see the disappearance of a child and the emergence of a woman.
And as the waves lap at the shore, I am reminded that although the ocean feels timeless, our time is marching on.
My children are daily approaching adulthood.
The oldest will be a high school Senior in the fall.
Less than a year and he will likely pack his clothes and precious belongings and place his head under a new roof.
My second son is only one year behind.
The girlie following two years after that.
And then what?
I watch the sun set on the beach.
The ending of the day.
And I ponder life.
Who will I become as the journey of all-consuming motherhood comes to an end?
I long to embrace the next chapter as fully as I have embraced this one.
To find that next soul pulling phase that tells me…
This is who I am now called to be.
Let your light shine!
Amy
