Do You Still Feel Small?

Song: I Hope You Dance - Le Ann Womack

I have always loved the beach. The crashing of the waves. The fluidity in the way that they roll in. The sand in my toes. The salt in my hair. I love not just being physically at the beach, but near one. Just knowing it's around brings a sort of peace, a distinct beach-y calmness.

Some of my favorite memories are of late night walks along the shoreline, of walking barefoot from here to there trying not to step on shells, of searching for sea glass, of beautifully broken shells. Of swimming with my grandfather. Of sailing and weaving my way around other boats in the harbor until I reach the open sea. How when you stand beside the ocean, you realize just how small and insignificant your problems are. How big and beautiful and breathtaking the world is.

There is not a single bad thing about the beach. Not one. It never makes anything worse. Instead, things can only go up when you go to the beach. And they do. And this week, they did.

The past week, my last week in the states, has been particularly stressful. And Wednesday night, my mother and I stopped tiptoeing around the eggshells we'd been...tiptoeing around....and all. hell. broke. loose. Choice words filled the air, things were thrown, tears were shed. It was horrible. Beyond that, even. But the next morning we went to the beach as planned, for our sanity, and after an hour, we were back to solid.

I have to thank the beach for that. And for the majority of my fondest memories. I have to thank the beach for not only keeping me sane, but making me happy.

Do you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean?