Our family recently went on a catamaran cruise to the Cape Lookout lighthouse. On the way, we stopped at a place called, "Seashell island". It's known for it's seashells that collect on the shore line. I have been to a lot of different beaches. Never have I seen one that has so many shells lying on the sand. I don't know what it is about this particular beach, that makes it like a giant sieve. It harvests large amounts of shells from the ocean and leaves them on the sand.
We are given a bag to put our shells into. So we can bring our "treasures" back with us. As I was picking up my treasure, my mind was focused on the seashell. When you think about the ocean, it is beautiful, with its wide expanse. But it's rough and sometimes violent with hurricanes. It can wreck a ship on its shoals... and yet from it comes the seashell.
We are given a gift, a treasure from something very unlikely, the sea. Every time I go to the ocean, I look for beautiful seashells. It is the best souvenir because it's free. The sea, with it's tide ebbing in and out, seems to be tugging at you, the sand, and everything around it. It is always saying, "More, I need more... come out here to me." Assigning a human characteristic to it, it is selfish. But when you look at the seashell, the sea is displaying a very different nature. It is a gift that the sea gives. It does something quite unselfish and hands over something of itself.
When we return from any trip to the ocean, we bring back our shell as a reminder of our trip to the coast. As I was thinking about writing this, I held up the large conch shell to my ear. They say you can hear the ocean's waves.
I think I heard something... it said, "Come back soon... you know you love to be here." I said, " I will, and thank you for the beautiful gift."
No comments:
Post a Comment