There is nothing that I love more than an overcast day—and an overcast day on the beach at that. There’s something peaceful about seeing the naturally cheery environment in a different light. Instead of glimmering sands which reflect and the sun, there’s a softness to it. Instead of a painful glare on the waves, there’s a sea of vivd blue as far as the eye can see. To me, this is a perfect day on the beach. And, it appears to many others, it is too. Footprints in the sand tell of those who’ve traversed the beach that day. They tell stories of life. Stories of people who’ve walked with their dog. Stories of those who run, their feet sinking into the sand providing a challenging terrain to exercise.
I spent many days on this beach when I lived in Virginia for nearly a year. While I never got the courage to enter the water, I sat on the beach and watched the waves tumble in one after the other. The seagulls would squawk and watch me warily, no doubt wondering if I had food for them. I never did. They would look at me with those beady eyes, perched on one leg, and wandering closer if they plucked up the courage. Meanwhile, I’d glance back at my book and burry my feet in the cool sand—my cowboy boots resting on my towel. And when I’d tire of reading, which didn’t happen too often, I would wander off and take pictures of the beach. Some days I took moody pictures, others vibrant.
But on this day I took soft images with a balance of peace and chaos. Peace in the fences and the birds resting on the beach. Chaos in the waves and the seagulls taking flight. It was a good day, one that I look back on fondly, though I never wish I could return to that time in my life. Like the pictures, there was a balance of peace and chaos. Around me, there seemed to be peace which I could never achieve for myself while chaos raged within me. Chaos which tore me apart and drug me into darkness for what would last many years. Many years until I was able to heal.
I loved this day on the beach. The beauty of it all will stick with me for years to come and remind me of how far I’ve come in life.
With Joy,
Avery