Zac Brown Band said it best when they sang, "The ocean is my only medication, wishing my condition ain't ever gonna go away." Many people love summertime because of the summer vacation, the late summer nights, and the bonfire parties. I, however, love summertime for a different reason: the ocean.
The ocean is my connection to peace, beauty, and just pure relaxation. I go to unwind and reflect on the past year. With the sun baking into my skin and the sand between my toes, I go to a place where the worries are distant and the memories are in the making. Here is my love letter to the ocean.
Hello, you.
Thank you for being a constant in my life. If all else fails in my world, I know I can count on you to be there each and every year. Leaving the previous year, I thought to myself how much I would miss you, but nothing could ever keep me from you. Let's face it; I am addicted to you. The salt in my hair, the sand on my feet, the sun on my skin ... There is nothing in the world more satisfying than you.
Peaceful is one word that I would use to describe you. Too often in life, I get busy and so caught up with things that shouldn't occupy as much space in my mind as they do, but you give me the freedom to reconnect with myself, and you give me an inner peace that only you can provide. The loud crashing of the waves creates a silence and stillness in my soul that I can only experience with you. You give me air to breathe and space to think freely without any disruptions.
The rhythmic tides that roll in and out, the foam that is layered on top, and the beautiful stillness are among a very long list of reason I love you. I can step one foot on the sand and instantly feel recharged and motivated to make a change. The sea and all it is composed of is actually good for you mental and physical health. After all the year brings, like sickness, stress, and loss, I can come to you with all of my problems and you can simply take them away.
Not only can I find my home within you, but you are the home to over 2.2 million species of life. You give to them what you give to me once or twice a year. You give them oxygen, food, shelter, and a safe place to live and be free.
So thank you, my precious ocean, for always restoring my sanity. Thank you for remaining constant, and as your tides change always, my love for you remains the same. You've taken my burdens and given me a new and improved sense of self. You give life to so many things, and you give me a new view on my life. You have changed me for the better, and life is so good on the ocean. But the thing that I love most about you is that I feel closer to God when I am with you. The glorious sunsets, beautiful life, and phenomenal breeze that carries my worries away show me that God is still at work and is all-powerful. "How cool is it that the same God that made the oceans looked at you and thought that world needed one of you, too."
With love as deep as the ocean,
Cassidy
