An Old Friend Can Save You from a Tidal Wave

  Back in January I was feeling overwhelmed. I wrote "So for right now this girl is going to find a rock ledge to hide under and wait for the storm to pass; letting the waves wash away the debris of gathered negative thoughts and when the sun breaks and the ocean glows with its warmth; this girl's going sunbathing" (Link for Blog)

    A few days later I would find out I was pregnant and that explained a lot of my ups and downs I was feeling. But in between writing my blog and reading a positive pregnancy test, a dear friend from my childhood sent me a letter.
    With excitement, I tore open the letter from Mrs. Tracy. She was my second grade teacher and is still my friend. And even though we're 1100 miles apart and there is a 49 year difference between us, we can still connect. And somehow, because friendship is just that powerful, she knew exactly what I needed that week.
  The letter was wonderful; sharing news of her family and life and her passion, even in her eighties, of trying to save the world. She also sent old photos from so long ago. I was shocked to see myself, standing on the Oregon beach, surrounded by my family. The sky is slightly overcast and you can see the edge of the waves coming in. The smiles are huge and the joy can be felt just by looking at the photo.
  The other photo is a familiar place, Tolovana Park. I can feel the wind and smell the sea salt just by looking at this glance into my childhood.
  When I was feeling swept away by life, Mrs. Tracy sent me something precious.

   I don't usually share really personal photos on my blog, especially from my childhood but I just felt like I needed to...
     Because it's the people in our life that define us, that support us, that hold us up when we feel threatened by the waves of life. 

    So here is the first photo- Tolovana Park.

And the second photo. I should almost make you guess what goofy kid I am...but I won't. I'm the one on the far right. So goofy with my tucked in shirt and thick bangs. But I absolutely loved those pants and my watch. And obviously the smile on my face says a lot.

So Thanks Mrs. Tracy for being there for me, even if you don't know just how timely your letter and photos are. And even if I can't properly explain just how powerful a letter and a few photos from a trip to the beach can be. But maybe since we've been friends for so long...you do understand.
   And that's why a good friend is something precious...beyond the simple words on a blog.

Tidal Wave

   Standing on the beach, my toes wiggling in the sand, the sun beats down on my bare shoulders. The small waves lap lazily but steadily against my ankles, drawing out the little tiny crabs from their locations. They flow, helplessly in the wave for a few inches, and then they scurry back, burying themselves in the sand again. But it's only on the edge, where the salty water kisses the land and in a few moments, the cycle repeats.
   The sea offers them an abundant serving of tasty things that crabs like to eat and I notice that some of the crabs like to stay near the long green ribbons of seaweed.
    The tides comes and goes and their life is intertwined with it, regardless of how hard they have to work to keep from completely being washed out to sea or the fact that they can't be too far away either. Danger lurks from being too far away from the sea. The heat of the sun, the sharp beak of a seagull, or the lack of food.
   And through all this, they never give up.
   But do they really have a choice.

   Sometimes I feel like life is that edge between ocean and land. Richly abundant and teeming with adventure but also dangerous and wearing. 
   How many events in my life has swept me off my feet like an ocean wave and threatened to take me out to sea? Some I saw coming....others were unexpected. There's a rule about the ocean...don't turn your back on it. Is that the same about life...don't turn your back on miscommunications or bad habits least they become tidal waves?
   Life ebbs and flows and we are intertwined with its rhythms; regardless if we want to be or not. When the weather is good and the ocean is calm we need to enjoy the sun warming our souls and the sand between our toes.
   When the weather is bad and the ocean is crazy we need to take cover; knowing that all storms eventually come to an end and the sun will shine again.
  
   So for right now this girl is going to find a rock ledge to hide under and wait for the storm to pass; letting the waves wash away the debris of gathered negative thoughts and when the sun breaks and the ocean glows with its warmth; this girl's going sunbathing.