Safety In The Waves

When the waves were huge and my girls had no fear.

Safety in the Waves

Yesterday at the high school beach day something amazing happened. The sun was setting and it was getting dark, and our group of girls went to the water to watch the waves, which were HUGE and crashing with might, filled with power. Alexis and Lucy would walk down when the water retreaded, wait for it to swell, and as it crashed they would run away and either outrun it or get splashed by the high tide! Nellie looked out at it and said, “Ooh this is scary.” I didn’t respond but thought to myself, “Why are you scared? You’re safe, you’re secure.” But as I looked out and watch the girls running from the waves I realized that I wasn’t joining them because I was scared too. I watched Alexis get as close as she possibly could to the steep water, waiting as long as she could before she had to start running. I was touched deeply by her fearlessness.

She wasn’t afraid because she knew she was safe, she knew she could do something about whether she would end up caught in the water or firm on the sand. She was exhilarated by the element of danger but confident in the power of her safety. After a few moments I put my things down and joined her, running back and forth, back and forth. I wouldn’t go quite as deep into the open space, but I went farther than I thought I would. We screamed and laughed and outran almost every wave. My co-leader Lisa said, “Wow look at you Maddie!” I jokingly said, “I don’t want to live life on the sidelines!” Which is the most truthful thing my heart could have wanted my mouth to say. Watching and supporting is great but there’s nothing like jumping in, or running in, with both feet. My girls all joined in and it was a sacred, silly, special moment. The tide got higher and higher and we outran it with shrieks as the sun set. I treasure what came from that choice I made to step in from the outside and join the life that was being lived! I can’t quite put my finger on why it struck me so deeply, but that moment sharing that time is an honor that I will cherish and hold on to with care.