I am a frequent beach-goer. I spend far too much time in the Florida sun for a pale Irish girl. The beach has some kind of magical hold on me, pulling me in like the moon pulls the tide.
Last week, I was sitting alone on the beach, lost in the pages of a book with the sounds of children playing, teenagers laughing and waves crashing surrounding me. There was a moment when my hearing focused on one sound – the waves. Maybe it was the emotions from the book I was reading or maybe it was the magical hold of the beach coming over me, but I found so much meaning in the sound of those waves. Wow were they poetic.
A wave is one of the most powerful forces on Earth. It has this wide range of ability, from bringing joy to causing destruction. A wave can create, cleanse, rest, fight, house, hurt, help. It can do all these things quite literally, but I think a wave serves as a metaphor for life.
Waves have been a part of my life since I was a born. Growing up in Florida, I have spent hours upon hours diving into, hopping over, wading in and riding waves with my dad, brother, friends and strangers. When I think back on my childhood, some of my favorite memories occurred in the water, and my earliest memories involve the waves.
While I associate waves with the beginning of my life, I also associate them with the end. My grandpa and grandma both had their ashes spread in the ocean. As silly as it may sound, I feel them with me at the beach. I find my peace at their final resting place. To me, waves represent the beginning and the end.
Whether you have a personal connection with the ocean like I do or not, a wave has this awe-inspiring power. There is this glorious unknown about them. Will they be rough today? Will they be calm? Much the curveballs of life, waves change with a single wind gust, storm or tide, taking you in all different directions.
Waves have the power, as does life, to crash into you, to toss you around, to wash over you, to lift you up. They can be exhausting, overwhelming and unbearable, but they can also be enjoyable, peaceful and enchanting. Like the tide, there will be high highs and low lows in life. When the tide is high, goals are in reach, life feels euphoric, and you can ride the next wave even further up the shore. When the tide is low, it may take a while to walk back to a place of rest.
Much like a wave, life is a force that we may have to battle sometimes. There will come times when rough currents and choppy waters will be fought. It will feel impossible to keep fighting. But a flat sea will eventually appear. The fight will be won; rest will be had.
Weather the storm. Wade in the shallows. Anticipate the next wave.
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