“I could hear my heartbeat reverberate loudly throughout my body. It seemed that the world that I knew had melted away and with it my problems and woes. I smiled underwater happiness, hope and internal light flooded my being and soul. This was the magic of the world she had whispered about. This was the magic of the ocean.”

The storm of emotions within me I feared would consume my very soul. Life had happened, I had all these doubts, disappointments, fears and problems with no apparent solutions. All this topped by a broken heart that seemed impossible to heal even after a year. I closed my eyes and the tears came streaming down in an endless torrent. Life and its many woes had caught up to me.

That evening however, something miraculous and unexpected had occurred. A moment that will be forever immortalized in my mind and heart. A moment, that little did I know at that time would change me and govern my life from that point on.

A friend who I now consider an important instrument in my journey and self-development called, “Let’s go to the ocean after work!” I considered and after giving many reasons why I couldn’t, I obliged. We drove in mutual silence, a bit of chit chat here and there and finally we parked, she went off to say a quick hello to a friend, while I was left to wander onto the sand alone.

It was a magnificent day, there is simply no other way to describe the beauty of that day. The wind blew through my hair, there was a golden incandescence all about us, as the sun was about to leave us, a comforting warmth enveloped my body as I slowly walked along the sand. The mental noise that had scoured my being that previous week became fainter and fainter until I could hear it no more. I closed my eyes and just absorbed the magic that had now enveloped me. The warmth and comfort that permeated throughout my being as I slowly walked along the shoreline, the salted waters gently brushing against my brightly colored red toes. How beautiful my feet appeared in the sand I thought, I smiled even chuckled to myself because of the silly thought that had just snuck its way into my consciousness. And just as suddenly a childhood memory fluttered across my mind.

I must have been seven or eight, so young, so innocent, and walking hand in hand with my mother in a beautiful green park. I remember her hugging me and smiling, that beautiful smile that always brought light in times of chaos. We were looking at butterflies fluttering from flower to flower and she whispered into my ear, “the world is filled with magic and beautiful moments, never lose the ability to see the magic in the world. “It didn’t make sense to me then, but for some reason it held great importance to me now. I stopped and turned to look out at the ocean, my heart ached for her. But as I looked at the huge expanse of the mighty ocean before me, something powerful and magical engrappled all of me.

I stood there, just looking at the violent blue waves crashing and rising with such power, such chaos, and such beauty. The ocean held a great power, strength, and enormity and standing before it now, I felt so small, so powerless against its great might.

I with all my problems and doubts could be swallowed and forgotten in a heartbeat. I looked out at this powerful, beautiful, ageless force before me. I felt so small, I felt so silly. I was just a little person, with little problems in a huge complex world filled with majesty that my mind could not even begin to conceive.

How dare I think that my problems and worries were so great and mighty, when I knew nothing of great and mighty? The ocean that stood before me was the epitome of great and mighty.

As I stood there, trying to wrap my mind around the revelation of enormity, I thought to myself no problem, no woe, no disappointment could ever be this great, this mighty. Having a true understanding of this knowledge, I knew in that moment that I can overcome, I can triumph, I can succeed any obstacle that would rise before me. I lifted my hands above my head and as I did, I took a deep breath of the ocean air, it filled me and seemed to touch my every fiber, I held it for but a moment and then exhaled loudly. As I exhaled I smiled and I said goodbye to worry, to pain, to disappointment and to negativity. I felt a huge weight lifted of my shoulders and in that upright position of purpose and intent I felt renewed.

I felt the commence of healing.

I entered the water and I floated out until the water just skimmed above my head, I was completely submerged, I could hear my heartbeat reverberate loudly throughout my body. It seemed that the world that I knew had melted away and with it my problems and woes. I smiled underwater happiness, hope and internal light flooded my being and soul. This was the magic of the world she had whispered about, this was the magic of the ocean.

I emerged for but a breath of air and slowly staggered to the shore where Sam sat with a confused look on her face. I sat next to her gingerly on the sand and smiled, a smile that seemed to have come from deep within, I threw back my body and lay on the sand, looked up at the sky and laughed and laughed., I felt I had found a great secret that had been hiding in plain sight that no one knew but me, the magic of the world, the magic of the ocean.

I looked at Sam and I said, “We are but small people in a huge world, whatever problems we have, we can and we will overcome, happiness and success will be ours once we understand and acknowledge that any situation during our travel along this path called life can never be as great and mighty as the ocean before us. We must believe and trust that we will overcome.
So, when next you feel consumed by life, negativity, anger, hurt, disappointment, simply visit the ocean, look at the crashing violent waves and allow her majesty to engulf you entirely. Close your eyes, trust, believe, desire her strength, her power and believe that you will overcome. There is so much more to who we are as human beings than our problems, woes and worries.

My name is Kristen Kay, I am by profession a Microbiologist based in the Biotechnology Industry Florida. I have always had a love and passion for writing and I would love for you to consider my piece for possible publication.