By Maryanna Gabriel
"Live in the sunshine. Swim the sea. Drink the wild air's salubrity." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have loved this little spot. It is wild and feels very safe. I have been able to totally relax. It is funny what one becomes undyingly grateful for. A slip of pebbly beach. Sleep. Memories that surface and loosen as the sun and the sea churn over them. Tide lines that are below one's gear. Silence. The book I have been reading. Milk that has not gone off. I have cherished this time with the sea. It is almost over.
I paddle to a waterfront pub and make the call to be picked up by a friend. It was time to reenter civilization and say good bye to the silent beauty that has been such a healing salve. I order a Caesar Salad savouring the fresh crunchiness with appreciation. The waitress stared at me oddly when I told her she was the first person I had spoken to in several days. My daughter was glad to see me. Everything that was my life seemed heightened by a renewed and keen appreciation. It was good to be home.