As the call of the sea was too appealing to ignore, I granted myself forty-eight uninterrupted hours of being beside the sea.
A welcome opportunity to be free of the other more demanding P’s; pressure to meet schedules (even those I’ve set myself!) plus the endless productivity of performing the tasks that accompany adulting.
Permission granted to roam free of them all.
What bliss. A real brain/body break. The most taxing decision I made today was which items I wanted for breakfast! To which the answer was … most of them! What a gift to have a meal prepared, cooked and brought right to you. Especially when served at a table with a sea view. Simple pleasures still deliver.
Following months of grey dreary days with very little exception, the sun even appeared to shine its sparkling lights all over the shop. And the sea. I find the sun rays flickering off the sea utterly mesmerising. That’s my kind of magic.
Yesterday I had zero desire to walk, let alone run along the beach. As I’m practising giving my body what it needs versus forcing it to do what I think it should, I didn’t walk or run. Instead, I spent hours sat on my arse staring at the sea from the comfort of my favourite sea facing seat. Guilt free and glorious. I also scoffed salmon I hadn’t had to cook. And I inhaled an inspiring book that was gifted by a friend, who knows my appetites. Satisfaction central.
But then, after one of the biggest and best cooked breakfasts I’ve ever had, a spontaneous urge to walk arose. This was enhanced by the fact I was too uncomfortably stuffed to stay seated. I went out to amble along the beach. As the waves gently lapped at the shore, the sun began to emerge. The warmth of its rays upon my skin was a welcome treat indeed! I remember this! It was an all-round sensory delight to be savoured slowly.
I walked and walked and I walked a bit more. And I relished the reality that there was no rushing required. I surprised myself with how long I walked following the slothfulness of the day before. As I did, I was constantly wowed by the wonder of the waves. Like life, they just keep coming; sometimes crashing in, sometimes calm, but always moving. A constant, vast, open presence. These are the scenes I love to gorge on. Even taking short videos as a takeaway to view when home.
I brought a coffee which I drank outside while still drinking in the sights and sounds of the sea. My first al fresco drink of the year. How exciting! At least it was until the wind started blowing, the clouds started dominating and the sun stopped shining. My cue to return to the comfort of the indoor seats.
Following a few hours of creative play, I felt compelled to get back outside to run along the beach. How I love the fresh air on my skin, invigorating me and reminding me in an embodied way that I am still ALIVE! Of course, it’s even more enjoyable when accompanied by the sun to balance out the cold. A wish that was granted periodically.
During this time and space of unforced rhythms; flowing over forcing, pausing over pushing, spontaneity over striving, my creativity began to re-emerge from its slumber. I am relieved, excited and tentative to sense it awakening once more.
The sea, the sun, the space, the stillness, the simple pleasures … these are what begin to bring me home to myself.
Thank you, God, for the soul stirring, wonder awakening, call, comfort and restorative powers of nature.
I do love to be beside the seaside.
And while I am now back home, I must return soon.