Be Still

Sunday noon, I brought a friend along to watch over the seals, mama and pup.

It's a stretch of coastline only accessible through private property or by walking for miles along the beach from the nearest public access. The volunteers have permission from the land owners to come and go as long as we're respectful.

So there we were, just the two of us, sitting on this gorgeous pristine stretch of beach with no one else around. While keeping an eye on the snoozing seals, we chatted, we laughed, we walked, we dipped, we were quiet for a long time and watched the water, with its soothing sounds and that unmistakable aroma, at once energizing and calming; the original aromatherapy.

It's amazing what you see when you're still, when your mind and heart open up. A honu swam in front of us on the reef, and we watched the disk of its shell rise and fall in the faces of the waves. Shorebirds arrived and bobbed through the rocks for a bit, then careened off into the blue. White stones shaped like hearts, and lovely whole seashells, perfect spirals of simply complex beauty, peeked up from under the sand. So did the little sandcrabs, before skittering to the water's edge and back. And five minutes before we left, a third monk seal swam up, with its sweet whiskered face curiously perusing the reef for some pupus.

Paradise...truly.

At one point, my friend turned to me and said, "When you live here, it's very easy to forget there are even spots like this left on this island. Remember today."

I will. :)

Aloha pumehana...