As I mentioned yesterday, Tim and I spent a day by the sea last week. I haven’t been to the sea for years, which is shocking really to say how close we are and that I spent many, many weekends by the sea as a child, thanks to my Grandparents’ caravan. In fact, I’ve never been to the sea with Tim and was determined to take him to my old stomping ground, and reminisce about all the fun times I’d had there. There’s really nothing better than sharing your old memories with a loved one, is there?
Anyway, as this was our first time to the sea together, I was determined to mark the occasion by writing our names in the sand. But, of course, it was so much fun I decided to keep going with the sand-writing, much to Tim’s annoyance (in his words, “watching someone write in the sand for hours is not all that fun!”) But it was fun for me to create all these different things and order him to take photos of them all – oh, he’s a good one to put up with me!
Not that he didn’t have a part to play in the creative process… he was the one who decided to add the seaweed “hair” to my Angel. And he was the one who went crazy writing Reiki symbols in the sand. Trust me when I tell you how much space his symbols took up! Of course, it didn’t matter that we were taking up lots of space because the beach was practically deserted. It was a mid-week, rather windy day in May and so we were two of the only ones crazy enough to walk for miles along the sand (and consequently, Tim was probably the only person to get “wind-burned” that day). As the saying goes… Skegness is so bracing.
But that didn’t stop us. Wrapped up in all our thick winter gear, we carried on regardless. And very soon we had littered the beach with a multitude of inspirational sayings…
all inspired by how we were feeling, and what we ourselves needed to remember.
I loved writing in the sand because there are two possible outcomes, both as exciting and magical as the other…
- someone will walk by, perhaps taking their dog for a walk or having a breath of fresh air themselves, and come across our little messages and wonder who wrote them and why, and their minds will become filled with all sorts of possibilities
- the tide will turn and the sea will wash the words away forever – no trace of our words, but they will be a secret held between us and the sea
How can you argue with that?
4 Comments
Keletkezes
May 18, 2010 at 5:05 pmI remember going to Clacton-on-Sea with my mum one weekday in October a good few years back and I made some sand-sculptures: a dolphin, a sea-serpent and a turtle. They were really cool and it was the same thing: some kids came along as we left and were quite admiring, and then went and destroyed the serpent! Transience is the nature of life and I wasn’t annoyed because they were temporary things desinged to follow a fate of sorts. I love making sand sculptures but it’s yonks since I’ve been to a proper Eastern beach: the west ones have the wrong sand ;P
Yaya
May 19, 2010 at 11:46 amI FOUND YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my gosh, Amanda! I feel horrible!!!!!
You sent me a beautiful package of thoughtful gifts months ago and I am just now finding you to thank you! I’m so so sorry!
THANK YOU!
I received your amazing gift right as we moved and things were crazy. Then my computer died and I had misplaced your address. I tried googling you before but didn’t find you. Thought I’d give it another try this morning and there you are!!
Amanda, thank you so much for the gifts. I feel absolutely horrible that I am just now responding to you, but you’ve been in my thoughts for months.
Please forgive my scatterbrained self that I am just now thanking you!
Alicia (“Yaya”)
Amanda
May 19, 2010 at 8:10 pmI’m so glad you found me again Alicia… I hope you got the email I sent you after I received your comment. I hope all is starting to settle down for you a bit now and I am very glad you liked the package, it was lots of fun putting it together for you xx
p.s., don’t feel horrible, I know how much you had going on and knew that you hadn’t replied because of circumstances rather than anything else xx
Louise
May 22, 2010 at 10:35 amNo winter coats today, it’s baking! I like your writings in the sand. I live by the sea and it’s rather taken for granted, rarely having time to really enjoy it. x