“If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Surrender… Until just recently the word surrender has always held a negative connotation in my mind. To surrender to me felt like giving up, quitting and I have always loathed giving in. But just recently I have caught a glimpse of surrender in new a light. I have seen it as a peaceful and quite action. In my mind it is more about allowing than to surrender. But no matter how the word needs to be dressed up in my head for it to have the “proper” meaning, I have seen it and felt it these last few days. And I love it there. It is quiet, calm and peaceful. It is totally in the moment. Not deep in planning as my mind has always run, but in the utter stillness of the now.

For anyone who knows me it would not surprise them that I had this revelation at the beach. The ocean is my home away from home. A place where I feel more of myself than anywhere else in the world. (Granted I haven’t traveled that much but we will just go with it!) I can walk along the surf for hours and as I walk I find myself deeper and deeper in stillness. What an amazing change from the endless chatter of my mind usually. And I have really quieted my mind a lot from several years ago! But as a parent my mind is always on, planning, packing, remembering more than seems humanly possible! Yet as moms we all do this. So when I find that stillness, that almost complete peace, it is a very noticeable change from the norm. It is one I never want to leave. And that is where I stumbled across the meaning of this quote.

When we traveled as a family, my husband and 2 children, to the coast for a few days, I made a decision to let go of the fretting. The worry about fitting everything in, the reality of knowing it was going to come to an end soon and just be present in each moment. (Truth be told it wasn’t in every moment, but I allowed myself a few relapses and did not get mad at myself when I slipped) With the surrender came a new-found presence. And our trip seemed so much better. I was so present, I felt, loved and laughed without my usual mental separateness. I am amazed at the difference it made, and not just in myself.

I feel such a fullness about this trip. I really lived it from a new perspective and new reality and I am so deeply appreciative of my journey. I love these moments in life where you can look at all the hardships and see that they have been worth it. And if you have lived a rough life like myself you know what I am talking about! It takes a big moment to see over the top of the mountain of negative experiences and say it was worth it. In my shoes, that is a big statement!

Sometimes in life you have to get away, to step out of your usual routine to get the big lessons. And I am deeply grateful for my walk in the sand…

“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

In Love,

Michelle