By Matt Mittan
Every year, as the warmer season fades, I feel a calling to visit the ocean. In times of hardship, I want to sink my toes into the salty sand. When I feel adrift, I want to breathe in the tidal air. There is something about standing at the edge of such a vast body of water that puts life back into perspective. The steady rhythm of the waves reminds me that even when circumstances change, there are still things in this world that remain constant.
In no year have I felt these things stronger than I did in 2020. No one will ever say that 2020 was without its challenges and crises. So much of what we once considered normal seemed to shift beneath our feet. We were asked to adjust, to wait, to worry and, in many ways, to reconsider what truly matters. That makes the relief and rejuvenation I get from visiting the coast that much more important.
More than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, we need to continue to pull together as a community and as a country. I feel like we need to allow ourselves to be vulnerable but strong. That, to me, is the oceans lesson.
The waves do not apologize for crashing against the shore, and the shoreline does not stop welcoming them back. There is strength in movement, strength in change and even strength in surrendering to those things we simply cannot control. Nature has a remarkable way of reminding us that resilience does not always mean standing still. Sometimes resilience means bending, adapting and continuing on.
So, for this month’s “River Reflections” column, I decided to do something entirely different. I want to share a poem with you. I hope that it provides you with peaceful images and feelings of gratitude for the beauty that nature still offers us. Even during uncertain times, there are sunsets to notice, waves to listen to, breezes to feel and quiet moments worth holding onto.
And I hope that when you look back on hard times, these words can give you encouragement to stay strong, vigilant and purposeful. May they also remind you to pause occasionally, breathe deeply and recognize how far you have already traveled. Like the ocean, we may be changed by every storm we encounter, but we can continue to return to ourselves, to one another and to hope.
Strength From The Sea
A Poem By Matt Mittan
Funny the way a man is drawn to the sea – so longing in his desire to be wetted by the salty mist and kissed by the reflective sun.
The waves speak to a heavenly rhythm often drowned out by the rigors of his earthly dance.
The tones of crash and sand mix sweetly with the distant trace of laughter and happy cheers of children being chased by the crashing tide. The sounds themselves unlock a softer side of our souls.
A lesson in there, scope of sight stretched thin. Not to be feigned, fought but to be truly soaked in. What violent torrents of white foamed rolls, swelled up from the treacherous sea, yet stretch to a solid flat line that reach infinity.
Gentle shades of green, brown and blue somehow mix together creating something entirely new. So timeless and wonderful are her treasures and lust, that time slows down here… resting into a gentle hush.
The secret healing of the sea comes from being defined by her desire, her pace and her ability to be free. One’s heart, spirit and mind find strength in that surrender, to chase that which we know we should and must be. We are reminded that we are not the architects, but the passengers, of this ride. So, our chest opens widely – passions have nowhere to hide.
What purpose could there be in trying to hold back these waves? They are eternal, restless and intent on things that go well beyond the grave. Be like the oceans, discern the ebb and flow, the bittersweet balance of tranquility and turmoil. Let them move your desire, set your pace and steady your hands so that others may be drawn to you, as you yourself are drawn to the sea. Provide strength to your fellow man.
Matt Mittan is the owner of Biz Radio Asheville and Co-Host of the Matt & Michele Outdoors program. Visit his Facebook page for more information and to contact him.