We recently took a family vacation to Hawaii and did some beach exploring. Snorkeling beaches. Body surfing beaches. Picnic beaches. Swimming beaches. So many. And so many aspects of life to contemplate while at the beach.
Take the body surfing beach. I watched my teenage daughter tentatively wade out into the water. The waves weren’t dangerous, but they were big enough to move you around and, if you weren’t careful, take your feet out from under you.
She made it right to the shore break. The waves were crashing down, smashing in to her and knocking her around. She started turning her back to the waves, hoping for some relief from the onslaught. That just made her less stable, threatening to knock her face first into the sand. As she stood there the undertow pulled at her feet, shifting the sand underneath her toes. Her confidence was eroding quickly.
I went out to check on her. Even though she wasn’t even fully wet, she said she was ready to go in. I knew that leaving in defeat would affect her entire day. More pressing, I wanted her to know the joy of diving into waves.
I love the ocean, feeling the force of a wall of water hit me and push me around, but knowing I am in control. Waves rush toward me and at just the right time I throw my hands forward and dive into the wave. Like a scene from Harry Potter, I slice through the wave, like a spirit through a body.
It’s a great feeling. As I dive straight through I feel the mass of water around me like I’m racing through a tunnel. The wave passes over my body and I feel my feet up in the air, right before the wave engulfs them and passes on. I pop my head up on the other side and watch the wave crash on to the beach. It is graceful and exhilarating.
I wanted her to experience that. To understand the ocean is powerful and scary, but fun at the same time. I showed her how to do it and encouraged her to face out toward the big ocean and not turn her back, to anticipate the wave and learn the timing, and then to dive in!
She got it. No longer were waves slapping against her, tossing her around. No longer was she just trying to keep her feet under her. She could go where she wanted, do what she wanted. She started playing and body surfing. When a wave came sooner than expected, she would grab a quick breath, dive, and be ready for the next one. She was timid no longer.
Isn’t that life? Waves come and we don’t know how to deal with them. They slap us around and try to knock us down. Sometimes they do. Then the undertow turns us around and right when we’re catching our breath another wave crashes down on top of us.
Don’t succumb to the pressure, giving it your back, and just try and stand. Turn toward the waves and dive into them! When they come faster than expected, dive! Not quite ready, dive! You’ll get through it, come out on the other side, and realize you can have fun in the ocean of life.