"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul" (unknown)

There’s something about the sea. Peace, tranquility, time.  Time seems to stand still.  Looking out at the endless shades of blue, over the horizon as the waves gently brush the shore, nothing else matters, only the moment.  With a family and busy life in the city we tend to get wrapped up in our routines, responsibilities, commitments. 

After a brief 5 day break at the coast with my children, I feel genuinely re-charged, as though all the troubles, stresses and tiredness have been washed away with the tide.

Each day we ventured out to the beach, to play, collect sea shells, explore the rock pools, splash in the waves, dig tunnels in the sand (to the centre of the earth!)… children’s imaginations limitless with all the possibilities that the sand and sea present.  I could hear their chatter as they played in the sand, buckets full of sea water being poured into newly dug holes, big brother waist deep in the water hoping to catch some tiny fish to inhabit the new ‘pond’ they prepared.  All the games that I played when I was a little girl, that kept generations before me enthralled for hours, now providing such enjoyment for this new generation.

"Teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea". Antoine de Saint-Exupery

As I watched the sea, counting ships as they passed far in the distance towards the horizon, the occasional bird flying overhead, the clouds forming patterns above, I was overwhelmed by that feeling of satisfaction. This is what life is about – taking the time to enjoy these moments. These are the memories we will take with us, that will form stories for us to tell our grandchildren, that will fill our hearts when looking back in time.  We won’t remember the report we wrote for work, how much stock we sold, how much money we saved, all those electronics, new sofas, renovations...  We will remember those endless hours spent enjoying the sand and sea, breathing the salty air, laughing as our children splash and tumble in the waves. 

"Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly" Van Morrison

For those not fortunate enough to live within driving distance of the ocean, it might be the mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes that invite us to stop and look around, take in what nature provides for us, with nothing expected in return… except joy, gratitude and appreciation of its beauty, calmness and simplicity.

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Do you have a favourite place to unwind? Can you recall your best memory of the sea? (Share your thoughts below) 

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