I wasn't running away; I just knew I needed to get away. To escape what? I wasn't entirely sure of that answer yet. I was just really hoping I would figure it out at some point along the way. It didn't take long and I did, the very moment that it all made sense was when the first wave of ocean water crashed against my feet. I wasn't escaping anything; I was finding something. I can place the same bet for anyone else in this world, go to the ocean and you will find so much more than seashells and sand dollars.
1. Soul
It was just me and miles upon miles of open water. There was a split second I imagined myself running out into that blue abyss until there was no shore left beneath me. Being swallowed whole by the beauty in front of me was an oddly calming thought. I sat there in the sand and I just sat there. I tried to think about life, about me and the things I should be thinking about or working on, but I couldn't even manage that. My mind was so clear. Nothing is more freeing than sitting alone by the ocean and being present with yourself. Life goes by, you get into your routine and you forget you. I promise if you take a seat beside the ocean in a matter of minutes, you will find your soul.
2. Happiness
Maybe it was the sound of the waves crashing into one another, maybe it was the birds chirping or the wind roaring past my ears. Maybe it was that the ocean was so much louder than I had expected or maybe it was that I had never heard sounds so peaceful. It was more than likely a combination of everything about this new scenery I had discovered. Regardless of what it was, I was happy. Not the kind of happy like when you are having a good hair day, or when you finally finish your to-do list. The kind of happy where you know even at that very moment, you'll forever feel warm when you think of it again. The kind of happy that I can't even find the perfect words to describe. All I know for sure is the ocean will provide you with that pure happiness and you will feel it again every single time you remember the waves, the birds and the wind.
3. Faith
If you find yourself needing some faith, I guarantee you it will be waiting for you beside the ocean. I didn't even realize how little faith I had until I sat there staring at the orange glow on the horizon. With every moment that passed, my faith grew more and more. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. We don't always get to understand why but the same God that created that sunset by the ocean also created all of us and how can you not have faith in something as amazing as that. I was sitting there on that day at that time for a reason. Maybe I am still a little unsure as to what exactly that reason is and maybe I will never truly grasp it. One thing is certain, it is impossible to be uneasy when you have faith.
Whether it be soul, happiness or faith you may need, it along with anything else you are searching for, will be found beside the ocean.
