Serene sea — January 2 prompt:
The Serene Sea Beckons Me to Wet My Feet and Stay Awhile
I’m not enchanted when walking along an ocean beach on the West coast. It’s littered with decaying kelp and seaweed. Driftwood lies in a haphazard fashion. The sand is full of broken seashells. It smells. The water is cold and murky. Sea gulls are noisy and little thieves. It’s not pretty when the tide goes out. Yet, marine life inside a tide pool is fascinating to explore.
I prefer walking by an alpine lake. The air is fresh and crisp. There are no houses obstructing my view. The shoreline has rocks and cattails. Majestic pines and firs line the shores. Frogs peek from underneath lily pads. The water is clear and warmed by the sun. That energy aligns with my own.
If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both saltwater mixed with air. — Nayyirah Wahee
But there is one place I recall with fondness. Brent and I attended a retreat in Fiji. One of the festivities was a trip aboard a two masted ship to an isolated island. The water was choppy as we sailed forth. Brent suffers from motion sickness, so he didn’t enjoy the trip at all.
I, however, reveled in the disturbance of the waves, feet planted wide. The crew sang native songs A cappella. The Fijians have beautiful voices. They are a warm, sociable people. The wind filling the sails brought us swiftly to our destination.
The sight of a white sand beach dotted with small thatched huts appealed to me. The water was a deep turquoise blue. The sun was warm on my skin. We wandered at will for an hour. Brent and I enjoyed a fruity rum drink at the bar, until his stomach settled.
The air carried a tropical flower scent. Palm trees flourished everywhere. Vacationers lay on lounge chairs, soaking up the sun. I waded into the water. To my delight it was warm. Ahhh, this was what I envisioned as a tropical paradise. This was a serene sea.
A glass bottom boat took us to a coral reef teeming with tropical fish. Everyone exclaimed over the variety of marine life. Angel fish swam among the brilliant corals. Anemone tentacles swayed back and forth. Sea urchins and multi-colored starfish clung to the reef.
I remember with fondness the Fijian meal served in the restaurant. Back on board the ship we sailed on a calm sea with the aid of motors. The sun sank on the horizon, casting a red-orange hue to the ocean and clouds above. The spectacle made my heart swell. It uplifted my spirit.
Later in our hotel room, I reflected on the gift of that day. I changed my mind about ocean beaches. There are places where you can find a pristine beach and blue water. That Fiji Island rivaled what a tourist would find in Hawaii. The beach had fewer people and wide open spaces for meditation.
If you have a chance to visit Fiji or Tonga you won’t regret it. There are over 300 islands, many uninhabited. Lodging is less costly on your budget. You will encounter friendly Australians and New Zealanders.
Experiencing difficult times can build us up to become better. In this quote, the calm sea is a metaphor for easy times.
Storms draw something out of us that calm seas don’t. — — Bill Hybels
This article was written in response to the Reciprocal Nature prompt presented by Dr. Preeti Singh in collaboration with Monoreena Acharjee Majumdar.
Please read the following posts by other Medium writers:
Marta Henriques tells us how proximity to the sea refreshes her spirit.
Pamela Oglesby writes how walking in the woods affects her emotionally.
Dr. Fatima Imam writes about a lonely woman at the beach who was waiting for the right time to enjoy life and happiness. But she died in a life that was boring and bleak
Thank you Reciprocal editors Sahil Patel, Dr. Preeti Singh, and Yana Bostongirl for your inspiring prompts.