The deeper the solitude
the less the sense of loneliness,
and the nearer our friends.
-John Muir
Always a little sad, always a bit of relief to come home from the beach.
My favorite part is getting up early and walking the beach, just me and the birds, the fishermen, the lovebirds, and the like-minded amateur photographers. (Many’s the time I’ve come out of a reverie, taking pictures of a horseshoe crab or the like, and stood and stretched, only to realize that someone has been shooting pictures of me, a figure crouching by the water’s edge, with a similar intensity.)
I love this, this being alone, this communing with the sea, this unearthing of treasures churned up from the midst of the ocean and tossed onshore. And it’s true, after a morning of this self-imposed solitude, I am so much nicer to be around, and so much more appreciative of the people around me. Connected to the souls and the world around me.
Hopefully I can retain some of that peace while I deal with the laundry, go to the post office, and catch up with everything else I’ve put on hold for a week.
For now, I can enjoy this photo and its echoes of the rumble of the sea.
What do you do to slow down, take stock, to center your life?
Have a good weekend!
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