The sun sets on another day…
It was a long day with many events, the wind blew fiercely and trees bent in the resulting howl. As I reached the beach with the sun lost in the far off clouds the waves pounded the shores, and the sand swirls and rasped against the landscape.
You know, up until here I really enjoyed storms and wind and the sheer fury of nature. In the last few days the new solution has been tested by nature, and I honestly think I can enjoy storms again. Where I am though, the fury of the sand can be a little more painful. The rain can pound down on us and it stings a little, the thunder can make you jump, the lightning blind and the wind tear at you, but the swirling sand seems to grind you away a little at a time. Being at a beach in the high winds can be taxing, and in the end (exaggeration here) can strip you to the very soul. (Or sole if you don’t have shoes on) It is time to sit in the car, or sit in a tank(better idea), and ride out the storm.
When we are dealing with other people we sometimes forget the power of our words. We can be a storm as much as anyone else. Our words can sting like a million grains of sand, and slowly wear down someone else. We need to be cautious in our storms of anger, fear, or despair, and try to remember that every unkind word is like a grain of sand in a storm. Even simple things can hurt for a long time and wear us down or wear another down, so the solution, is not to create the sand. I saw on the news this morning a group of people behind the news desk touting signs saying, “Be Nice” and I smiled. Being nice should be everyone’s goal in life, being nice should be a means to an end, or a means to a means at least. It doesn’t take much to be nice, but it “keeps the sand away”.
Today as tempers flared, I stayed calm in the center, and was nice to everyone. This is the way it should be. A simple statement at the center of our minds should be, “If you cannot say something nice, be patient”. This does not mean taking it all the time, it means being nice, being patient and trying to be kind.
I know, it is hard. sometimes your back may be against the wall, people may say unkind things about you, or worse, but try to rise above. Try to be that person that does not spray the swirling sand.
So as the sun sets on another day, wow. There is a lot of sand. Try to be that person that is calm at the eye of the storm. Don’t let the sand tear you down, and don’t spread the sand either, because that can lead to a sand fight. Icky. Instead, wait for a clear day, and maybe fly a kite. Enjoy the blue skies, the swift surf, and mostly, enjoy life, no matter what.
Sleep sweet, be kind, and love to the moon and back, and the stars beyond…