“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach.
One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.”
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea
“The loneliness you get by the sea is personal and alive.
It doesn’t subdue you and make you feel abject. It’s stimulating loneliness.”
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea
Every time I stand by the ocean, I can’t help but think about one of my all-time favorite books, Gift from the Sea, by one of my all-time favorite authors, Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Once a year, Anne and her sister would spend a week at the beach—a writing holiday. This weekend, I was able to spend time by the ocean. Without a doubt, my most favorite thing to do in the world. There is something astonishingly refreshing about breathing in those negative ions.
After a weekend women’s retreat, I took a few moments to linger down on the beach. I just couldn’t leave. The ocean was calling my name. It was time for my seaside ritual: writing a goodbye message in the sand. A word that marks the significance of my time spent there. I couldn’t pick just one, so over the next couple days, I’ll share the rest. Today, though, the word is hesed.
