pacific ocean

“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach—waiting for a gift from the sea.”
― Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea

“Wanna go the beach?” I ask my sister, even though I already know the answer. I love walking along the windswept beaches of the Pacific Northwest, where she lives; and she loves exploring the tide pools in the calmer waters of Southern California, equally so.

It’s the height of tourist season–no matter, save for the bumper-to-bumper traffic. As my roadster crawls up PCH, we catch up on the latest. We land in Laguna Beach at low tide, and the waves have long since receded. Clumps of seaweed line the shore.

We clamber over rocks, poke our cameras into rock crevasses. Little by little, the ocean reveals to us her treasures.

When I spot my reflection, mirrored in the ocean’s shallows, I reposition myself and refocus my camera lens…slowly, carefully, so as not to to disturb the creatures that inhabit these small spaces.

Waves froth and then fold in on themselves. We linger in the tide pools as the water drifts lazily toward the shore.

Salty breezes whip our hair into messy curls, and our shoes fill up with sand. The ocean rewards our patience. Quietly, and without fanfare, she whispers her deepest secrets, presents to us the whole of her heart.

We are not alone.

We are  witnesses to a miracle, a pageant that plays itself out repeatedly, here and elsewhere. I’m grateful for the opportunity to watch it unfold with Sheryll, and for the delight that washed over me anew, as  I create this photo album for my blog.

Linkfest! If you want to see other bloggers’ responses to this week’s challenge, click here, or visit my photographic response to my last art challenge entry, TRICKSTERS.