The Beach at my Back Week 8-Gift from the Sea completed.

Image from here.....

The anticipation of her personal reflection ending is upon Anne. Concern of loss of outward simplicity and inner integrity; will it stick with her when she gets back home? As she realizes mankind’s point of view might burst upon re-entering the world away from the beach. Accepting that this is unavoidable, Anne believes the heart is infinite-modern communication loads us with more problems than the human frame can carry.  For me the awareness that sure all this fast pace information has its place but not all day long every day. There is got to be a balance and it has to start with ourselves. Being the mediator for outside influence will take some effort on our part.  

Working with a smaller circles allows one the actions of the heart and minds. It is impossible to be all things to all people. If we try to do that and be all things to all people or the masses as Anne describes it we complicate our present lives and often over ride it and live in a simplified dream of the future. Because we cannot solve our own problems right here at home, we talk about problems out there in the world. An escape process goes on from the intolerable burden we have placed upon ourselves.

Anne has a group of questions she asks us and herself.

Can one feel deeply for an abstraction called the mass?

Can one make the future a substitute for the present?

And what guarantee have we that the future will be any better if we neglect the present?

Can one solve world problems when one is unable to solve one’s own?

Where have we arrived in this process?

Have we been successful, working at the periphery of the circle and not at the center?

Some would say that we bypass the present and aim future all the time by shooting for the next thing….I know I have a tendency to do that. An I know for myself that I get moving faster and faster at it and then I lose ground and start flip flapping all over the place.  I’m aware of this all too much after I’m in…I get caught up in the masses so easily. Like a pendulum swinging way out of whack. It’s an ongoing daily practice of staying balanced and grounded. I know that’s way I go to the extremes when this happens and hang out in the woods so totally away from the masses.  Somewhere in between I find my peace.

Anne shares; the here, the now, and the individual, have always been the special concern of the saint, the artist, the poet and from time immemorial the woman. In the small circle of the home she has never quite forgotten the particular uniqueness of each member of the family; the spontaneity of now; the vividness of here. This is the basic substance of life.   I personal can’t agree with this more. In all my personal pendulum swinging the family unit, circle as she calls it has been my substance.

Anne share; they are the drops that make up the stream. They are the essence of life itself. When we start at the center of ourselves, we discover some things worthwhile extending toward the periphery of the circle. We find again some joy in the now, some of the peace in the here, some of the love in me and thee which go to make up the kingdom of heaven on earth. 

Personal tidbits, Yesterday at the end of my walk/granny run, I was stretching and saw something dark brown and in somewhat of a circle or disk shape.  I didn't have my glasses on so had to wait till I was done with my cool down and read to leave. I walked over and was blessed with a sighting of small baby turtle. Circle, round and disk shape.  I instantly want to pick her up but had no pockets to carry home in…so thankful for that…because I really didn't need to bring home a turtle…and the best place for her was right where she was…deciding if she should cross or even what crossing over the pea gravel was about.  I had a few other sightings of animals while I was out there, I always come home and looking in a few of my animal book to see what kind of wisdom they are trying to share….of course the turtle is a symbol for Mother Earth and the circle is a symbol for wholeness so what a natural place to be in the core of life the centering of self where you start to find your wholeness and grounding.

Anne’s final words….The waves echo behind me. Patience-Faith-Openness is what the sea has to teach. Simplicity – Solitude – Intermittency….but there are other beaches to explore. There are more shells to find. This is only the beginning.

Now my book as the final page…Gift from the Sea Re-Opened… I will allow you all to read that on our own and savor it like the wonderful flow this whole book has been for me. Thanks for following along with me, I hope Gift from the Sea will be an annual read for you too.