7.20.2010

when i need solitude, peace or recharging, you can...

sea
gulf of mexico beach, long boat key, florida
sea ( s)
n.
  1. a relatively large body of salt water completely or partially enclosed by land.
  2. a relatively large landlocked body of fresh water.

i had not planned on posting today, but when i saw merideth's "oasis" post on shutter sisters today, i was compelled to join in. she wrote "i am most myself when i am in water. i realize this every single summer." i feel the same... only i might say, when i am near water {as opposed to in water }, especially if that water is home to a little thing i have a healthy fear of called sharks.

having just recently returned from visiting b's parents in florida, i was once again reminded how much i like to swim in or sit by the gulf or even the pool. {b's parents' place has five pools on the grounds -- all beautiful and relaxing }. but as much as i love the pools {mostly becuase they are sans salt and sans sand }, there is something about the ocean or any body of water that has movement and sound, whether the sound of waves on the gulf of mexico or lake michigan or the ripples of a river... it just brings me such peace and comfort.

this is why i am so grateful for parents-in-law who fly us to see them near sarasota, fl almost every year. what a blessing and a gift. their condo is across the street from one of the prettiest stretches of beach on long boat key.

although i have lately had more solitude than i care to have experienced {a little is needed, more than a little is good, too much is almost counter-productive }, i still really needed this recent trip and this opportunity to relax, recharge and forget about all the "stuff" going on around me at home. {i'll share more in regards to that when i get back to blogging a little more regularly.} it was a truly peaceful and helpful getaway.

i took this photo on my florida trip in '09. perhaps you remember me starting a series of posts with pics from that trip. i have not kept up with that, and now it is over a year since we went, and we've just gone again in the meantime. {i'll eventually post photos from this recent trip, too.} but i recently rediscovered this '09 pic and decided to process it with a viewfinder border. and i'm glad, because how perfectly it went with the shutter sisters post today.

as you know, i'm fascinated by the sea {as defined above }. even if you can't find me physically there, you can bet you'll often find me there in my thoughts... just a little something about me {actually, a big part of me } that you may have already known. i hope you found some peaceful thoughts in the words and photo, too.

14 comments:

Lisa said...

Beautiful photo, beautiful sentiment. I feel the same. I am simultaneously exhilerated and terrified by the ocean. It's so...infinite, almost, to my little brain anyway. When I stand on the shore, and just, look out (especially at night) it seems to go on forever. It's so huge, so vast, so much huger than I could ever imagine, and contains more than I'll ever know. It's in these moments by the ocean that I feel closest to God, because the feelings produced in me by the sea are just a tiny mirror of the feeling produced in me by God. If....that makes any sense. :)

georgia b. said...

makes a lot of sense, lisa! i so get that.

my last morning in florida {before we drove to the airport}, i went and sat on the beach and prayed and cried and felt his presence so much. it was symbolic for me to see the great body of water of which i could not see an end. it reminded me how great and big God is, and that made me feel safe and taken care of. i also loved how i could not see the end of the gulf from my left to my right. it reminded me of the verses about forgiveness... "as far as the east is from the west, so far have my transgressions been removed." what a comfort!

glad you liked the photo.

Hi Kooky said...

Great processing on the photo. So glad for you and b that you've had a relaxing ocean-side trip. Ahhhhh. Whatever's going on, hang in there. I'll say a prayer for even more peace and comfort to come your way.

georgia b. said...

thank you, jen! good to hear from you.

ughh... i just realized i still have that book light for you. i promise to send that off today!!

chasity said...

it's so good to see you back georgia.
i've missed you.
hope you feel recharged and exhilarated!

hugs~~
chas

beth said...

yep...i'm part mermaid, too.

Sandy K. said...

I Georgia - I loved your post today, and if fit in well with my own theme - Travel Tuesdays. I added a link from my blog to yours, so others could share in your thoughts. I love the photo - the colors are stunning.

georgia b. said...

thanks, chasity. good to "see" you too!

beth, you hid your flippers well when we met. : )

thanks, sandy. glad you liked. and thanks for the link love!

Steve Gravano said...

Good post Georgia. R & R is a good thing, everyone needs to recharge and an ocean beach does have that effect. Many people around here (Long Island) go to the ocean to pray. Maybe it's the mighty roar of the water. Something so essential and so powerful. Peace

mrs mediocrity said...

My daughter calls the ocean her happy place...she is like you, loves the water, feels most herself when she is around it. For me, it is the woods. But as long as we all have our own spot, that is what counts.

Sueann said...

Oh how I love the water!! And if I can be in it...all the better. Your words are very calming and the pic is fabulous!
Hugs
SueAnn

Meri said...

This is lovely - so's the new banner.

GailO said...

My place to be me is by the sea as well...I don't need to be in it but by it...the sound, the smell are all part of it...You expressed it so much better than I ever could...Love the photo treatment!

georgia b. said...

thank you, steve, kelly, sue, meri and gail. i'm so glad you liked this!