Time and Tide

I live next to the Indian Ocean. It's a fact. The way the water moves on itself, back and forth, according to the earth's grand design, against the white sand of the Western Australian coastline, never ceases to amaze and calm me. 

My oldest son is 18. His father was a fantastic surfer with a deep bond with the sea. He was never more at peace than when he was next to, in, or on the waves of this mighty ocean. My son is as much his father as he is me, and loves the ocean. When his father died last year, we took his ashes and spread them at his favourite surf break down south in Gracetown, Western Australia. The surfbreak is called Lefthanders and it is a popular break. 

My son graduated from high school in December and spent 2 months travelling the US with me. When he came home, he went down South and visited the surfbreaks that his father loved. In a particularly poignant moment tonight, he shared with me his experience in that place. It was a truly personal reflection coming from a young man who has learned his own strength over the past year. 

I was overwhelmed by his reflection, and how far we have all come in the wake of what was a tumultuous time. 

In the midst of the turmoil around us last year, people would tell us that time would begin to heal what had been broken. I tend to think it is time, and the tide- the natural turning of nature on itself in a rhythm none of us can understand, which is healing. The tide of life, bringing trying times along with peace, love and new beginnings is what brings us closer to understanding our past and giving us the capacity to embrace our future.