"Serenity by the Sea: Embracing Calmness at the Beach"

“The sea is your mirror; you study your soul in the infinite roll of its bellows” Charles Baudelaire. The question for today is, “Where have you found peace?” For me, I find peace in gazing at the ocean. I live in Southern California, and a ten-minute drive gets me to the beach. I go to the beach on the weekend; the key is to go before 8am. This is the time when I can find free parking. Typically after parking, I head over to a coffee shop that has been around forever. I order a drink, then head off to the pier. It is fun to just sip my coffee and watch the people surf. I counted around 23 people surfing this morning. I close my eyes and listen to the waves crash. One thing I noticed this morning was that every surfer crashes, is knocked off the board, is under the water, and gets right back up again. I didn’t see a perfect ride. This is the peace the ocean brings. I can release the thoughts from the previous week by watching the surfers, listening to the ocean, and watching the dogs running around. I take deep breaths, and the stress and anxiety leave my body. When I turn around and head home. There is peace.