It's a cliche statement even after I tossed the word variations in my mind to convey what I wanted to say, it still came back around. The picture and thoughts started 2 weeks ago. They have been pushed aside with the stuff of life but, they sat patiently awaiting my return to them.
It was an early morning fueled by the weather and surf reports along with the sacredness of a weekend with no work duties in sight. The thought of witnessing the sunrise over the ocean is an exquisite gift bestowed upon those of us who view it as such. Surfing, the only sport that has captured my heart's desire for a solid 25 years without waning and in fact churned a greater passion as the years have flown by, coupled with that sky filled masterpiece spurs a feeling of joy that can not quite be conveyed by measly language. The anticipation of both spectacle and movement leaves me in a giddy frantic rush to the final destination. On this particular morning from my living room window, I could see the colors blooming as darkness started to surrender. Throughout the fifteen minute drive to the beach a fog started to devour the glorious colors. But, unlike the solid gray mass it often appears to be, there were moments of misty ebb and flows. Mist with blackness, mist with pale oranges, gray and pink, as I drove I stopped to take pictures of all these scenes that were beautiful each in their unique way. One over a still back creek.
Another the backdrop of a decrepit barn. Then the best moment of the pre-sunrise debut, on top of the bridge over the bay when the fog parted for a peep show. I appreciated each of these and continued onward to the ocean only to find that the fog swallowed my beloved sun leaving only the idea of it for its viewers. Once out in the water, that fog eventually lifted and as I squinted toward the brilliance to check for upcoming waves, it occurred to me. When it is about the journey, you will not be disappointed. I enjoy the excitement and anticipation of surfing. I know that it is only on special occasions that I am treated to an "epic session" but, that does not dampen the moment before I crest the sand dune to see the waves or splash into the ocean. If I hadn't stopped to appreciate the various beautiful moments of dawn, I would have missed not only them but, the sunrise completely as it was shrouded by fog. You will always find beauty when you look for it.
That is why I have taught my daughter that everything happens for a reason. It may take us a while to understand why things happen. Who or what it will impact to ultimately work together for good. Eventually, we will find out. It certainly isn't an easy thing to do. Slow down or stop in a time of hurt or the mundane dragging of our butts through this earth poses a challenge. When you do, you find it. The beauty of the stranger who smiled and held the door. The feel of the granules of soft sand under a foot that had been shoe bound all winter. A raindrop reflecting the sun in the calm after the storm. The way that you can empathize in a special way with someone's sorrows because you found your way through similar heartache. The more you really see these things and the more you stop to appreciate each of them, the more you realize it never was only about the destination. It is always about the journey.