6 Things The Beach Taught Me:

There is something about the beach. It is chameleon like and is accepting

without prejudice. Sometimes I can go with family and friends and have a load of

fun. Other times I am attracted to the water’s edge to let go, to rest, to forgive,

and to heal. This was such a time and these are the things I learned when I was

at my lowest.

1. I can go to dinner by myself. A solo lunch is one thing but having dinner alone

is a new level of uneasiness. I have gone to lunch plenty of times by myself without

one weird thought or feeling but never dined alone at dinner. First things

first…dinner is defined as supper, night time, the last meal of the day. Now back to

dining alone. It’s not all that bad actually. The thought was much worse than the

event.

2. The tide comes in and the tide goes out…every day without fail. Life goes on

for sure. No matter what is forming and storming around me, the sun will set, and

the sun will rise. Every day is a new day to start anew. Every day is a new day to dig

deep, find new hope, and keep plowing ahead. It’s also a reminder that letting go of

things and pursing new things is healthy.

3. Spray sun screen is not for the rookie tanner…just stay white. I am a very

white girl. I do not think I have ever had one tan my entire life, no not one! This

shade of white is like a destress call to the sun when I am on the beach “SOS!...sun on

skin…come now…burn me good. Coverage matters and the spray sun screen is not

for me.

4. Being alone with yourself teaches you how to listen to yourself, love yourself

and be kind to yourself. Quiet. Slow down. Listen to my self-talk. Are my thoughts

healthy? Are my thoughts self-sabotaging? Yes, kind of. I had to reshape the

narrative in my mind and get back on track to see myself how God sees me. And He

loves me! Quiet time is the best time to be alone with myself and God. He has a plan

for me. His plans are for my good and not for my harm. Jeremiah 29:11.

5. Other people are oblivious to your problems…enjoy their ignorance. I

watched a lot of people during my stay. I watched children laughing and playing

carefree on the beach with their families. I watched people running, biking, walking,

and tanning. Not one of those people understood the grief that was heavy on my

heart. I wanted to be them; trade places with them so I too could find relief from

the loneliness and sadness. At the same time, I felt goodness for them. I felt

gladness that they were not experiencing sadness like I was.

6. There’s no right or wrong answer as to when to take my ring off. This was a

biggie for me. The reason I went to the beach was to deal with my loss. I needed a

time out from life. I had much turmoil about how to “correctly” process my loss and

giving up my wedding ring was one of those things. I came to reconcile my

confusion by accepting this fact…there is no “correct” time. The right time would be

right for me and I had to trust myself to know when that moment would present

itself.

Recent Posts