The memories washed in wave after wave rushing to fill every gap of her soul as she waded through the past collecting images like picking up seashells. The perspective of childhood brings a stillness and reverence to something ignored. She didn’t know or understand what was happening during the events from her past, but years later the golden fall colors of imagery had graced her mind’s landscape with vivid emotions, sights, and sounds from the bygone times.
It’s not really time travel, but as creatures with this limited capacity to go back, and forward, retracing the steps, putting one’s hands and feet where they once were is like re-running a deeply personal story only known to you, flooded with emotions, those experiences in the past, and the emotions of remembering.
The wind, wrapping and winding itself around, over, and under, tugging at her hair as if to say ‘pay attention to me’ didn’t sway her from sinking her feet into the sand of her thoughts as she collected olive shells by the dozens. Reflecting sunlight, bouncing from every direction as the wind had its way with the water, the light jumped in glee at another day of finding its way into every dark crevasse of existence, blinding the eyes from seeing what was really going on. The joy of a day at the coast danced across the stage, performing as always.
We are usually too busy to catch the show.
She wasn’t.
The walk through the tugging, swirling tide not only reminded her of the past but it also pulled along, the undertow of emotions and how precious those times were, and how precious those times are, layering the new wave of experiences rolling over the tug of emotions and memories flowing out.
She, along with creation, reveled in the state of pure joy at being alive, giving praise to the almighty for the gift of this day.
Hours later, sunkissed and burned, trudging through the deep dry sand, rattling shells in a blanket announced the day’s events and the carrying away of memories past, memories made, and memories to talk about. Each shell, clicking against the other reminds her of where she was just now and… just then… years ago when life’s weight didn’t hold her down, where the sunlight seeped in without the obscuring from the tyrannical fog of the immediate.
There is peace on her face, exerting from her soul, almost palpable and seen through her eyes, and the gentle energetic warmth flows from her presence signifying a simple, easy good day, a good day well spent with the companionship of the past and present, like old friends sharing a moment in the sun and waves.
