The wave, the sea wall and the gift

The moment was powerful, awe inspiring, frightening and chilling. The two of us decided to take a morning walk on the beach. The storm was long past us but the ocean was still aggressive and the waves were bigger than we had seen in a long time.

So my friend and I left the warmth of the apartment, the ladies stayed behind to continue reading the Sunday Times, and we headed for the beach. We commented on the power of nature. It is beautiful. As we walked we didn’t notice that we found ourselves between the waves and a sea wall of sand. We truly didn’t see the waves until we got hit by them. I think it was the combination of the power of the waves and being caught by the sea wall that caused the fall, going under, grasping for daylight and then getting hit with the tow back out. We came up for air, looked at each other than got hit again and taken under.

Once it was over we composed ourselves. Saw we lost glasses, hats and some pride to the ocean. But as we headed back , very respectful of nature’s power, we talked about the frailty of it all. A moment that changes it all. A random wave or position between water and wall that can detour a life. It is the gift that keeps giving. The moment of clarity of the value of a minute in time. After cleaning up, a few jokes and a shower, we settled in for a Sunday afternoon.

Life changes in heartbeats. Life is just a moment. So today watch where you stroll but also be grateful for each step.

The ageless experiment.