Thankful

This morning I had no idea that I would be so thankful. I woke up with no other intention than to enjoy a couple of hours at the beach since, after all, I am in Hawaii. And even though I am not a water baby, I dragged my friend S. out of bed and we threw ourselves into the car with nothing more than sunblock, water, and towels in our bags.

Lanakai is a beautiful local gem in Kailua that only the locals know about. The tourists head over to the justifiably renowned Kailua Beach for some sun and surf, but if you keep heading up the coast a bit, you'll find this beach where the sand is soft and white and the water is a light blue-green, but there is no flash of photography and the only agenda is to enjoy yourself.

We were only going to spend a couple of hours there, and then I would head back to the house to get some work done. But as we stepped off the stairs and on to the sun-soaked sand, every other thought flew out the window. I'm pretty sure that I had to pick my jaw up off the sandy floor, except that I was so mesmerized, I forget.

I went for a swim, even though I've been terrified of the waves ever since a scary incident in California. The waves were a little choppy, and a little bit of the old panic crept up in me. I took deep breaths, and focused on the sensation of floating in the water. Except that as I swam in the now-cool, now-tepid water, being pushed back and forth by the waves, listening to the whistle of the wind and the slap of the water against me, it occurred to me to remember where I was. Hawaii. Taken care of, loved. With friends. Family waiting for me back home. I looked out to the horizon, noticing the grades of blue from ocean surface to never-ending sky. I realized that here was my moment to be grateful for the beauty that I got to witness and be part of at that very moment, and I closed my eyes to pray a thankful prayer.

Sometimes I think that prayer isn't just about giving proper due, and that wrapped up in this feeling is the sense that you are a part of what you are thankful for, if that makes any sense. It washes over you like goosebumps, to know that you have just let go of every care in the world and remembered, for one brief moment, that life is pretty amazing. I spent a few more minutes in the water, letting the feeling soak in and ingrain itself into my memory.

 I was so very very glad that I was able to partake in a moment of complete security. I am thankful for the many moments in life that those opportunities come up, when we are given the chance to forget everything else, and remember that there are things in our lives for which we can yet be grateful and happy.