Tiffany Painter

There’s something about standing with your toes burrowing into the sand, water rushing around your ankles, and sun beaming down on your face that allows you to take a deep breath in. The kind that fills your lungs with sea air and pushes aside all your worries, at least for the moment. Maybe it’s living in a land-locked state that makes trips to the beach so special. Perhaps the beachcombers feel the same when they suck in what oxygen they can at 12,000 feet. The truth is probably more in the breathing in than the location of said breath. The people who live and work along the coast have the same daily chores as those of us nestled in the mountains. We all have dishes to wash, pets to walk, and laundry to put away. Incoming messages seem to find us wherever we are. But there is beauty in standing still and taking in what’s around you and just resetting. For me, trips to the beach – no matter how short the trip and how few I get – remind me that there is good in the world and it’s okay to enjoy it. Scooping up an unbroken shell buried in the sand may not solve any problems in the news, but it will bring me joy. Some days that is an absolute win. We can have empathy for all the people suffering in the world and still be allowed to find beauty wherever and whenever we can. These moments to reset are what give us the ability to continue with hope, empathy, and courage. Today I will pause and breathe in the salty air of the beach, and tomorrow the crisp mountain air of home. It’s all about the breathing.

9/4

sitting in the rain
making my buddy happy
he is so worth it

9/6

new word for old dog
beach added to vocab list
morning game changer

9/9

clouds blocked nighttime sight
missed the view of Blood Moon
my morning re-do

9/13

ocean bubble bath
wind and waves disturb water
sea foam sweeps ashore