Waves, seashells, ocean breeze . . .
What more could a heart ask for?
Hello friends,
You never know what you will find on social media or how a single post can send you spiraling into glimpses of your past. Krissy’s post conjured up feelings, emotions, senses, and passion.
My first memories of the ocean, the beach, and the big waves began when I was four or five years old. While I can’t remember why I opened the kitchen pantry, I have vivid recollections of my earliest years.
Windows rolled down with no air-conditioning, the radio kept us upbeat but sweaty. Before I saw “the big water” of the bay, I could smell the pungent, humid air.
To this day, that is the smell I long for. One whiff offers the first inkling that any worries I may have carried with me will soon dissolve within the salty mist.
Our 1949 Ford carried my parents and me across the two-mile causeway from Houston to Galveston Island. Staring out the window, I clenched the armrest.
I had never seen so much water. The bridge appeared to hover just above the water’s surface to my childish eyes. What if the car fell off the bridge? How would we get out? Who would save us?
I held my breath and breathed a sigh of relief as we ventured to the solid ground of the island. Towering palms and bright red and pink oleanders greeted visitors. They still do.
My first encounter with the Gulf remains emblazoned in my mind’s eye. Dad turned the car in the direction of the Galveston seawall. From the back seat, the angle felt like driving up a hill. We reached the intersection. I don’t know if I gasped, but I’m positive my eyes grew large with a mix of awe and fear.
The water stretched further than I could see or imagine—endless waves rolling one after another onto the shore. Despite my early trepidation, I put my toes into the gritty sand, listened to the sea, the laughing gulls flying overhead, and felt the warm frothy waves wash over me.
I was hooked.
My trips to the beach come few and far between these days. But photographs remind me that this is a place where the sea, salt, and sunshine converge gifting me sanity and a soothing caress.
Where’s your happy place?
Whenever I need a lift, I remember the three healing powers of the ocean.
Need a little calm? Bring the sounds of the ocean and listen.
In memory of Tony Bennet, three of my favorite songs to enjoy in your happy place: “Fly Me to the Moon,” “I Left My Heart in San Fransico,” and “Blue Velvet.”
“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”
—Isak Dinesen
“I have always been fascinated by the ocean, to dip a limb beneath its surface and know that I'm touching eternity, that it goes on forever until it begins here again.”
― Lauren DeStefano, Wither
Find a little wonder this week in your happy place.
With gratitude,
Kathryn
I always welcome your thoughts, so, please leave me a message or click the little heart at the bottom of the page.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to forward this weekly note to someone who would enjoy a few words of inspiration.
Or if you received this from a friend and want to receive my weekly post,
Like you, I love the ocean 🌊 the sound of waves, smell of the salt, feel of the sand. I now live in the Baltic where the salt content is low and there are no tides or waves. I do live the water, being surrounded by it, but I’ve recently had a little longing for the beaches of home in Australia 💙 Thanks, again, Kathryn x
Rereading your post today gave me a welcome lift when my mood was low. It reminded me of my trip to the seaside with my grandmother when I was about four years old. I remember everything being so big, including a grassy bank outside the hotel, which seemed like a mountain to me, but years later, I realised it was only a small slope that I liked to roll down. Happy memories.
Your photos are gorgeous, as always, and your words, beautiful. I live about twenty miles away from the nearest beach here. I went there recently with my best friend and had a wonderful time. I find the sea so tranquil, and we stood (sat, in my case) and watched the tide come in and go out again. Southend-on-Sea has become my happy place, even though I can't get there very often. I'm hoping to go again once the children go back to school in September. Thank you for accompanying me on this snippet of my own welcome journey, Kathryn.
I also love the Lauren DeStefano quote. Lovely thoughts. Xx 🌞💕