Roll Over Me

Water. I like to drink it, to walk in it, to make art with it. Water gives life. Water soothes and cools. Water sustains. The sounds that water makes, from raindrops on tin roofs to waves rolling onto the shore, are subtle reminders of nature's presence in our lives.

There was a pond in the front yard of our farm house when I was growing up. I remember creeping to the pond's edge hoping to see a frog or a fish in the shallow water. We would row ourselves around in the water in a green row boat or float in tubes on hot summer days.

One of my favorite experiences with water is at the beach. I love standing on the shore and watching the waves roll in. The photo above is of the Pacific Ocean from the shore of Venice Beach in California. There is a peaceful rhythm to the water near the shore. An inviting "wave" summons me closer. I'm teased by the water as it laps to the shore. I jump over the first little wave, and step even further into the water.

The waves seem endless. They roll over the rough sand and collide with whatever or whomever is in their path. The waves are cleansing. They wash the sand from my feet. They rush to sweep my spirit clean of what stains it. The waves move over me and carry me back into the great waters of the ocean. As I stand on the shore and long for refreshment from the water I find myself moved; my soul shifted.

My feelings seem endless. They roll over the rough spots in my life and collide with whatever or whomever is in their path. My thoughts of worry are cleansed by calm. Feelings quench a longing for intimacy and compassion. Feelings of passion roll over me and invite me into the great ocean that is life.