Sometimes I stand at water’s edge and just let go of all that I am.  In these moments, I put aside all thoughts and worries of the day and soak in all that is around me.  I take off my shoes and feel the sand between my toes and I watch as the waves wash in and out.  In this moment I feel that I am only a small part of a much bigger picture.  The footsteps that I leave in the sand last only for a moment and then they are washed away as though I had never been there.  And yet, here I am, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the sea.  When I turn my face up to the sun and focus on all that is around me, I feel as though I am a part of this place.  It is all around me and within me.  All the complexities of life are washed away and I am left with only this place, in this moment.  And in this moment, all is right with the world and I am free… free from all the cares and worries of the day… free of people’s judgements and expectations…free my own fears or disappointments…just completely and unapologetically me…

Ripples in the Sand
By Krista Longeway

I watch the patterns in the sand that form
as the ocean waves wash in and out,
in and out.
The waves eventually washing away my footsteps
as though I had never been there,
leaving in their wake tiny ripples in the sand.
I feel the morning sun warm upon my upturned face
and the ocean breeze cool upon my cheek.
As I close my eyes, I hear
the gulls call from overhead,
flying in wide arcs above the water,
where the waves below crash upon the rocks.
The rhythm of the waves
lulls my thoughts into a hazy peacefulness
that takes over my being.
I am the waves,
I am the gull,
I am the tiny ripples in the sand.
And all is right with the world.