The ocean — God’s majestic Etch-a-Sketch
Two years in the making, I was finally able to enjoy the North Carolina sun on the state’s beautiful Outer Banks again. It was indeed a different kind of vacation, dictated by the delta variant, COVID’s current threat.
For me, all I need is the ocean — no fancy restaurants, shopping sprees or tourist attractions. Especially not this year. Just the company of my family and the ocean’s majesty.
The beach is my happy place, as they say. I watch as my troubles roll out to sea with each passing wave. It is serene and peaceful, and perpetual. It is my respite and my replenishment. And I am drawn to it like a moth to a light.
During the rest of the year, I normally groan as
my alarm clock breaks the morning silence, rousing me from sweet slumber for another day of work. However, at the beach, I awake for sunrise, often without the need of an alarm clock. I greet each morning watching the sun peek over the horizon, reflecting off the calm ocean and the fins of the ever-present dolphins swimming by in search of breakfast. Paradise.
In the quiet of that time of day, I watch as the waves lap the shore, depositing a new load of oceanic treasure on the shore for us beachcombers to find, and returning others to the ocean floor. It’s as if God was playing with a giant Etch-a Sketch, creating and erasing, offering different treasures with every swipe.
Each year, the treasures are different and varied. With last year’s COVID situation, I had to sit out this amazing experience, making this year’s trek all the more special. Every piece of treasured beach glass or each spiral shell or unique oceanic fragment is incredibly intricate and fascinating.
Every once in a while, we all need a respite from the rote of everyday life. Though I am by nature a happy person (or I’d like to think so!) every now and again, it is nice to withdraw completely from our “real lives” and enjoy a week where the responsibilities of the daily grind cannot reach us. Unplug. Unwind. De-stress. Take time to be still, in the majesty of the great outdoors, and savor it. Over the past two years, I think I lost sight of just how important that downtime is.
I hope you are able to take some time away from the daily grind, to just relax and be still. Even
“Stay-cations” accomplish this goal. With all the bad news on the TV and our
phones, it’s nice to unplug and go old school.
Family game nights, playing with grandkids, catching up on my kids’ busy lives, it was all very relaxing. I actually was able to read a book and a half in a week! That is unheard of in my everyday hustle and bustle.
There is usually a jigsaw puzzle set up for all to contribute a piece or two — though this year we forewent it due to a 2-yearold’s very active and curious nature! And that in itself was a pleasant diversion for me.
So, what is it that you enjoy during downtime? Why not give yourself a day or two and enjoy the simple pleasures in life? Shy away from electronics and enjoy the ensuing silence, or the time focused on those you love. One last retreat before the summer comes to an end. What better way to bid farewell to the lazy hazy days of summer?