Bean Hollow

Today was a day for adventure! I had not been to the beach in a year and four months (which for me, is a long time) because of the baby (and my fearless toddler), and so, today was the day! Taking advantage of my husband's new schedule (Fridays off), I packed up the family and headed for Bean Hollow State Beach, just south of Half Moon Bay. (And I will now try to avoid using parentheses for the rest of this post.)

Unlike the other beaches in the area, the 'sand' at this beach is made up of smooth, round pebbles, hence the name, Bean Hollow. There are also many interesting rock surfaces, and tidepools that even my three-year-old was able to manage. Among the animals discovered were crabs, sea anenomes, and sea urchins. I love that my children are now old enough to join me on these trips of discovery!

While my husband was with the older children at the tidepools, I sat and played with the baby and watched the ocean. I saw the water's nuances of blue, green, and gray, darkening to a gorgeous indigo-blue until it made a perfectly straight hem against the sky-blue sky. Seaweed tossed, turned, and tumbled with the waves, crashed onto the shore, then allowed the tide to gently pull them back in.

A few years ago, I noticed that, except for two years of my life, I have always lived near the ocean. For me, the ocean is a comfort, a place of peace and meditation. It always reminds me of God. I gaze upon the expanse of water and I am awed by the life it holds. I am overwhelmed by the mystery in its depths and the subtleties that reveal themselves over time. I remember that, as C.S. Lewis might say, "He is not a tame ocean, you know." 

And I imagine myself, tumbling in the waves, sometimes crashing on the shore, but always being pulled back in, because He never lets me go. Everyday He polishes me, until I am beautifully smooth and shiny.