Yesterday morning we went to the beach. We like to go nice and early to beat most of the crowd. The difficult part with three children is getting them all ready so we can be early enough, and yesterday we were not. We had to drive around a bit to find a parking spot, and finally did three entrances away from were we normally park.
The first thing I did was jump into the water and go for a nice swim. The water looked calm but there was a strong current and undertow. It could be a dangerous day for some in the water, and when I floated I quickly found myself several feet away from my starting position.
As I looked out into the water I wondered if this is the beginning or the end of the Atlantic ocean. Someone on the other side of the world might think of their beach as the beginning or the end, and still others might see it as a small part of the whole. As people we like to assign ourselves more importance than we have, and the ocean is always a good reminder of how small we are.
When we got home from the beach we were greeted by two unfortunate occurrences. The first was that our AC was out in the upstairs, and it was hot up there. The second was the belt in our dryer broke. With our washer having spent most of the morning making weird noises I decided it was time for new units. I decided as much as someone whose dryer just broke.
It is frustrating because these are two more large, unexpected, expenses that we didn’t need this year, but all we can do is roll with the punches. Just like standing on the edge of the ocean I am standing at the edge of my life and wondering if this is the beginning or the end. When in reality it is a random spot in the middle. A spot with strong currents and undertow. Threatening to pull me under.
I see the light in this tunnel, but for now I still can’t get there. I need to make that a priority. Use the path provided to claw my way forward, and reach a new beginning, and maybe that is the secret. We are never at the beginning or the end, but existing simultaneously in a moment that is both the beginning and the end.
David Huzzard Writes 