Reflections of Me

I see my reflection and wonder “who is that staring back at me?” Her outline is familiar but do I really know her? When you look at me, what do you see? Do you see my exterior flaws, or do they fade into your peripheral as you look deeper?

Monsters of the Sea

Peering over the toe rail and into the bottomless depths of the sea below, I wonder what lives down there - What creatures call the seafloor home? I have seen glimpses of its occupants – a shark rising up and skimming the surface, a ray jumping through the air, the bobbing heads of sea turtles.

I have snorkeled since I was about 11 years old, and always wanted to learn to SCUBA, but for one reason or another, never have. At the Miami Boat Show two years ago I bought all the equipment. Neatly arranged on the top of my closet shelf sits a BC in its plastic bag, an octopus/regulator/dive computer contraption and other assorted dive paraphernalia. Looking up there at the stuff last week I thought, that is stupid for it to be sitting up there collecting dust, while I wait for the "perfect opportunity" to get certified. No more stalling, no more excuses. This spring my son and I are going to get certified. So, hopefully, it won't be long until I will no longer have to wonder about what lurks below.

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Down Under the Sea

Down under the sea,

Where the dolphins swim free,

And the sand and the sea grasses sway,

Where the starfish shine bright,

And the dog fish don't bite,

I ride my seahorse all day.

Down under the sea,

Where the whales sing and dive deep,

We chase and rope sharks, Until it gets dark,

Then the waves gently rock us to sleep.

Down under the sea,

My seahorse takes me,

On a journey through coral and caves.

We'll round up fish down there,

Rescue mermaids so fair,

And ride away on the crest of a wave!

The Gift of Hope

One day, a bright red bird flew over and landed on my window sill. As he peered in at me and I out at him, I thought “what does it mean?”

On my birthday a glorious full moon graced the sky. I could scarcely contain my anticipation - surely this was a sign of something great.

Reflecting back on those events, the red bird flew away, and the moon set as if it were any other night. These things that I had placed special meaning and significance upon disappeared into obscurity.

Where were the rewards promised to me? How foolish I felt for allowing myself to be led astray -- For holding out hope.

Looking deeper and past my disappointment it occurred to me that the gift I thought I wanted may not have been the gift I needed. Perhaps hope itself was the something great.

Again I felt foolish, but this time, for a different reason.

Springing Forward

Spring has sprung. The smell of fresh cut grass is in the air. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. A time for moving foward.

Thursday Susan-isms

Live gracefully and with a gentle soul. Tangible things are fleeting. The most profound legacy that one can leave is to be remembered fondly.

Culture your spirit so that it captivates those who cross your path. A pearl begins its life as a grain of sand – a tiny and insignificant irritation to its host. Through perseverance and continual refinement it gradually builds its luminosity and beauty.

Indulge in the ability to feel deeply, a trait that can only be gleaned by a full existence. A life insulated by bubble wrap will yield a flat soul. It is only through experiencing both the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the yen and the yang, that one builds a character with the capacity to visit the entire sensory spectrum.

Jelly Fish

As a kid growing up in Southern California - one who was lucky enough to have been born to parents with a trawler - I got to see a lot of jellyfish. They reminded me of floating brains. On calm crossings to Catalina Island it was not uncommon to travel through large schools of them. I would lay on my belly, head resting on the bow toe rail, and search the water below for jellyfish. I would find myself mesmerized as hundreds of floating brains, large and small, disappeared under the bow. Most of them were whole and intact, with translucent globe and wavy tentacles that resembled mermaid hair. Others had been visciously chopped up into pieces and parts - by the props of boats I suppose. Their vibrantly colored veins in hues of blue, red and purple appeared electric in the sunlight. I watched them propel themselves along the surface of the vast ocean with their translucent jelly domes that flexed in and out in graceful ripples. I wondered if they knew where they were going - if they had a particular destination in mind. Perhaps they just floated to wherever the winds and currents took them.