There is something about the ocean I find mesmerizing. I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with the ocean this summer. Someone asked me how I can sit for hours at the shoreline with the water kissing my feet and just watch, but
I can. Watching the ocean is like watching life.
Its vastness is at times overwhelming, especially when I know what I'm seeing is just a tiny speck of what's out there. It's moody and unpredictable...some days welcoming and calm, while other days angry and powerful. People experience it differently. Some with wide eyes full of wonder, excited by the lure of the unknown. Others afraid, calculating the risk as too high. I watch as people make split minute decisions as a giant wave is about to make contact. Some get knocked over, others dive under to avoid it, while a few take advantage of it and ride it in. The ones who get knocked over have another decision to make. Will they give up and decide it's too rough or will they try again until they persevere and also ride one in? I'm intrigued by the little ones who stand side by side...one giggles while the other cries. Same experience but seen from two very different perspectives. I look out and know I am only seeing the surface. I'm curious as to the life underneath, the parts I will most likely never experience.
The ocean is a contradiction, as is life. Loud, yet calming. New, yet familiar. Risky, yet reliable. Exciting, yet painful at times. Whether calm and still or rough and rigid, in the end, both the ocean and life are always beautiful.