Day 113

As the sun goes down in the evenings where Chandler and I have the good fortune to be staying, the fountain in the back yard is illuminated, and the water falls gently over the rocks. Sometimes, when I awaken in the night, I crack the door open and listen to the water. As I listen, I close my eyes and concentrate on synchronizing my breathing with the rhythm of the water. When I have settled to the point where I notice nothing but my breathing and the water, I find a Peace deep within my center.

When I was a young child, my family used to spend a good part of our summers “at the beach” in Dana Point, CA. I used to love to lie on a towel, with one on top (so I could avoid the wicked sunburn my fair skin was susceptible to), and doze off. I love the Peaceful feeling of floating between the sleep and waking state where the ocean waves actually feel like they are breaking all around you, and the sound of people’s voices whisper unintelligibly in your subconscious. The feeling of awakening, slightly groggy, and throwing off the towel to run and dive into the ocean is one that I can still feel today.

My sisters and I used to play a game called Sunday Morning Rush Hour. In it, there would be passengers who rode on the shoulders of the drivers. We would race around the house passing each other until one of the drivers lost their passenger. On one such occasion, I jammed my big toe into the desk in the den, and actually broke it. In the doctor’s office, I had whirlpool therapy for my toe. That meant that I got to soak my foot (Dr. Andrews let me soak both feet) in a metal tub with swirling water jets and warm water with rosemary oil in it. I loved the feel of that water circulating around my feet and up my calves, and to this day, I love the smell of rosemary.

Why do these stories matter? For me, being near or in water calms me and brings me a sense of Peace. I am not, of course, always near a fountain, the beach or a rosemary infused whirlpool. However, I do have the option at any time, to close my eyes, and take myself there in my mind. When I am distracted or feeling dis-ease, I can, in a matter of moments, guide myself to water and recover to Peace.