Change...
Janet Payne
Change is something we are all too familiar with these days. When I walk the beach, I immerse myself in change. As Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. ” I walk the same beach everyday, but it is not the same. Each morning when I walk out onto the beach I never know what to expect, but I do know that it will be different than yesterday. The tides and waves assure the landscape at the water’s edge is in a constant state of flux reminding me that the landscape of my life changes everyday as well. It is in this area of constant change, at the water’s edge that I often find sea glass. Sometimes the change is subtle, sometimes profound - the gentle waves of slack tide or an unsuspecting rogue wave. Good or bad, there is always change. Knowing that change is inevitable and dealing with it often, makes me better equipped to accept the big changes that will surely come my way.
“All things change: nothing persists.” - Ovid
Change can be unsettling. I find it useful to look at change as a catalyst for revealing new treasures, whether it’s sea glass on the beach or a simple pleasure in my everyday life. I try to look at a situation anew, from another angle, another viewpoint. Sometimes the beach is covered in pebbles and finding sea glass and treasures is easy. Other days the beach is textured in footprints and I really have to search for even the smallest treasure. It is at these times I remind myself that even the slightest change in the surface of the sand could reveal a hidden treasure. I often find a piece of sea glass in a footprint, or near the deep impressions left by an early morning runner. Some days the sand covers over the entrance to the creek and you can literally search for miles on the beach. There are days when the wind covers the beach with sand as far as the eye can see, forcing me to look in the old high tide lines. There I often find sun glass that has had plenty of time to soak up the sun’s rays causing the manganese in the glass to turn a wonderful lavender hue.
Lavender sun glass hiding in the old high tide lines.
One big change for me this year has been ordering groceries on line. This has really allowed me to take a close look at the food I consume and the waste it produces. Making my own flour tortillas means one less plastic bag coming into my house and ending up in the landfill each week. That’s 52 plastic bags a year! The real game changer was learning to make my own peanut butter cups. Now that’s a real treasure!
The constants - the ocean, the sand and the sky.
Yes, there will always be the constants - the ocean, the sand and the sky. These constants bring me comfort. Family, friends, home - these are the constants in my life. If I allow change to be a constant as well, it becomes a comfort. I embrace change everyday. Walking on the beach helps me handle all the flotsam and jetsam that life’s tides wash in everyday with as much dignity and grace as I can muster.