Ebb and Flow

What is ebbing in your life? What is flowing?

Living by the beach I have many opportuitues to witness ebb and flow. Recently I hade the chance to experience a powerful evening storm. It came quick and I found myself stranded on a covered pavillion on the ocean. It was such a gift. I witnessed the sky, the water, the air, the rain, the sand, shift and move in unison with each other. It was hard to comprehend what was the driving force, as each was affected and shifted in a different and beautiful way.

The darkness came. I stood and watched, wrapped in my towel as the wind blew and the rain fell. The ocean moved with the wind and the rain. It responded with pounding waves and shimmering foam. The color shifted from blue to green to grey, as the sky became filled with with black and grey and powerful bolts of lightning. The storm shrouded the horizon in a haze that hid several shrimp boats that had been there for hours.

As quickly as the storm came up it, it passed. Sunlight filled the sky as the clouds moved out to sea. Small patches of rain continued for a while, as the air became still and clear. The boats suddenly appeared as if a fogged window had been wiped. The light became bright and the air cool. The storm had taken its course.

The power of this experience has been with me for days. I am so struck by the deep meaning it holds for me, for us. Storms come and go. Things are moved, shifted, damaged. Things are different, most times in ways we could not predict.

Ebbs and flows happen. Storms Come. Sunny days appear. These are a few things we can count on. When and if they come and go, that we have no control over. All I know is that if I am able to respond to the storm with a clear head, I will be fine.

For me keeping a clear head is about awareness of what is happenign around me. It is getting out of my own head and being observant and responsive to my surroundngs. It is about living in the moment and experienceing the ebbs and flows for all thier gifts...