Sunshine and Water
Today is Thursday, March 2 of 2023.
I am off from work and promised myself the night before that I will be enjoying the beach when I get the chance to temporarily be away from the kitchen. As my normal routine goes, I woke up early and began the day by preparing breakfast. As soon as 9:00am hits, my wife and I left the apartment—she, to her work and I, to enjoy the beach.
On my way to Key Biscayne, driving—while my windows were down, it reminded me (for the 1000th time) of how much I appreciate living in a city where there is plenty of sunlight and having close proximity to the ocean. If I look back, all the places that I lived in were near or next to the water. Hong kong, San Diego, San Francisco, Cape Cod and Miami are all next to either an ocean, lake or sea. I never imagined living in-land, just thinking about it makes me itch already.
It dawned on me that the older you get, the more you seek for “natural” alternatives rather than doctor-prescribed medications that can reset and refresh your mind to keep your sanity. There are plenty of people who miss out on these “blessings” that are being taken for granted. They do not see the invisible benefits of allowing the sun and water to touch your skin. It’s more mental than you think.
Having sunshine for example, brightens one’s mood instantly. If you wake up to a beautiful sunshine, then chances are that you feel captivated or enthusiastic to do something meaningful. Especially if you are an outdoorsy person, you don’t allow a beautiful day to just pass by without doing anything. You have this “seize the day” approach that enables you to be productive and have a positive mindset.
Water, on the other hand, calms and relaxes you. The sound of water itself is already music to one’s ears. It makes you appreciate simple things like just listening to the relaxing sound of water hitting the shore or the sea wall—the sound of tranquility. If the sun enables you to be active and on the move, water, on the other hand, reminds you how to step back, pause and reflect. When I was still living in San Francisco, my wife and I would often walk to the piers and just admire all the activities that happen right then and there. Nothing beats witnessing fishermen unloading fresh seafood daily, while hundreds of sea lions slacking and sunbathing was a spectacle to be seen or watching ferry boats transporting tourists to Alcatraz.
Combining them together make you feel wonderful both inside and out. Oh how I love a wonderful sunny day. That’s why when I got to the beach and found out that the seaweed had all cleared out—nothing but just clear water, I immediately dropped my bag, set up my beach chair and just ran towards the water like there was no tomorrow. It felt wonderful to just float and suspend yourself in complete surrender to the flow of water while your face still feels the nice warm ray of the sun. While swimming, I began to contemplate on everything—life, blessings, challenges and the future. I had a positive mindset and a positive outlook in life today. I am hopeful that the future will bring me what I seek in life.
I was able to fold all our laundries, vacuum the entire apartment, cook dinner and finish my music composition. Today was fruitful and I couldn’t have asked for more.
An hour of staying at the beach is enough to reset me for a week.