Timing

Something told her to go to the beach that day.

The ocean had always been a place of solace for Catherine. A place where she could lay down her troubles and be held by the depth, the power, the feeling of home.

These last few months had proved lonely in Catherine's time alone, often wondering when the heaviness of this particular season of her life would come to a completion. Or at least begin to provide some clarity. There was no sense of direction and it grew hard to trust.

Despite this difficulty to fully trust, there was a strength inside her she knew she MUST trust, even with the sometimes conflicting dialogue of her mind.

Again, something told Catherine to go to the beach that day.

As she walked along the shore, she saw an older man about 60 or so, sitting on the sand.

As she grew closer to him on her walking path, they shared a glance.

He smiled and she smiled.

How sweet he seemed.

She felt a warmth in her chest as she continued walking.

A softness.

Breathing into this warmth, something pulled her to turn around.

When she did, they shared another glance.

She walked up to the elder and asked if it would be alright to sit with him for a moment.

Unwavering in his smile, he gave a nod.

The man wore a rugged leather coat that felt like it held intricate histories, breathtaking tales and a certain kind of poetry to a life lived fully. His skin mirrored this poetry with added elements of buoyant freshness and a kind of innocent youth living within his bright amber eyes. His salt and peppered hair was long, wrapped with a red bandana and a feather on the right side.

“Red tailed hawk…” she thought to herself, noticing the patterning of the plume, recognizing it from the fallen feathers she would sometimes find in her backyard. Red tailed hawks where frequent visitors around Catherine’s home, often flying overhead. She remembered they symbolized clear vision.

As she took her seat next to him, she instantly felt a timelessness next to this grandfather of mystery. The uneasiness of the unknown Catherine had been feeling these last few months, seemed to disappear into the mist of the ocean air.

They watched the waves roll in and out, their breaths syncing with waves for what was probably only a few minutes but each minute felt nourishing and unbound by space or time.

In a soft clear voice, the man spoke.

“The waves have a way of reminding you of the rhythm of life. They come in and they come out. Inhaling Exhaling. Expanding Contracting. What remains is, they always come and they always go. Just like the moment. This is guaranteed.”

Catherine smiled.

He was right. The waves always came and always went, never doubting that they would come again. In this moment, she understood a deeper meaning of the ancient saying “This too shall pass.”

It was all going to pass. The good, the bad and the mundane. It was all moving and morphing in its perfect time and it would always be in the presence of change. Continuing its dance with life, just as the oceans did.

They sat again in silence.

Another timeless few minutes passed by and the man turned to Catherine.

He asked if he could give her something.

She nodded, mirroring his nod from earlier (a little homage to this curious, mysterious and unexpected wise new friend).

Reaching into the inner left pocket of his rugged and poetic coat, the man pulled out a little black book.

He handed it to Catherine with a gentleness, as if he were giving her the most precious and delicate jewel.

“For you, to write down all your dreams, little dove.”

She smiled and tears welled up in her eyes. Little dove was what her mother called her. She had died 2 years prior.

“There is a magic in every moment. We just have to be open to receiving it.”

She listened with awe to the wisdom coming from this gentle man and received the notebook in her hand, wanting to say thank you, but somehow knowing words weren’t needed.

He smiled back at her once more, before rising to his feet and beginning to walk off into the distance.

She watched him in his slow and tender pace, wondering if he had ever felt a moment of rushing in his life.

Had he always been this still and wise? Had he experienced the uncertainty of the unknown? What was the story of his life?

And what had brought this familiar stranger along her path?

She knew these questions didn’t necessarily need an answer, but she was curious, which made her smile even more.

He had given her the gift of presence. Something often forgotten, but in this moment, remembered again.

Now alone, Catherine sat upon the sand, but loneliness did not meet her. Gratitude did.

She watched the waves come and go for a little while longer.

-----

“What an incredible day.” she reflected as she placed the little black book on her dresser.

She had received such a gift.

A reminder, that it truly was in the small moments magic happened. The smiles shared, the words spoken, the feelings felt, the openness and risk of trust, the way life continued to dance amongst both chaos and peace…this was the magic of life. Presence in the moment.

With a sense of renewal, for the first time she truly felt that it truly was going to be alright, even if it didn’t always seem this way. The power of trust.

As she got ready for bed, freshly showered and brushing her hair, she noticed the little black book out of the corner of her eye.

She smiled and reached to pick it up.

She held it with the same softness in which it was given to her and opened to the first page.

A fresh blank page, ready to receive her dreams.

She noticed something sticking out from the back of the book and pulled on its corner.

It was a folded piece of paper. On the front of it were the words

“Trust Yourself.”

“Huh.. “ she thought and was tickled by yet another synchronicity of the day.

“Trust Yourself.”

“Yeah, I will.” she vowed with a new vigor.

As she unfolded it, her eyes widened and her whole body rippled in goosebumps.

Catherine couldn’t believe her eyes but her body made no mistake of the truth she was witnessing.

“$20,000…” she finally managed to say in a barely audible whisper.

“Twenty…thousand…dollars…”

She took a deep breath.

As she held the check in her hand, with the To: line addressed to "The Little Dove", her body was washed over with a sense of disbelief and overwhelming gratitude. The goosebumps were still present.

Catherine paused as tears began to flow from her eyes.

She closed her eyes and bowed her head, receiving the moment.

“Was this actually happening?”

“Am I dreaming?”

The thoughts entered her mind but the peace and magic of the moment were undeniable.

She took another deep breath, lifting her head and turned to the last page of the notebook.

Here, she found a letter.

It read,

“Dear You,

I know this is unexpected. Isn’t that what makes life interesting? Make no mistake, this is not a mistake. Yes, you are absolutely, totally and completely meant to be reading this letter! I’m so happy it has found its way to you. Life is not coincidence. It has a way of surprising us. It is always on purpose and dear one, everything serves a purpose, even if our minds cannot comprehend it. You being here, breathing, being, exploring and living is a beautiful thing and I am so happy you’re here. Your life and your heart are an important piece in this tapestry of life and the way you love is a gift. Life is a gift. This letter offers the reminder that you are always supported, it’s never too late and you are always right on time. Trust Yourself.

I want to share with you 11 musings I have found to be true within this game called Life.

1. Within the depths of darkness, light shines brighter. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. This is where infinite possibility lies. It is all here for you.

2. All will be revealed in time. So take your time. There is no rush.

3. Everything that has ever happened, needed to happen exactly the way it happened, in order for you to be here exactly as you are in this very moment.

4. Celebrate your uniqueness, for there will never be another you. Life adores you just the way you are. How beautiful is that?

5. Let yourself love. Share the beauty of your heart. It is all worth it.

6. Even when you forget, you can always remember.

7. Let yourself experience life and let life surprise you. We are here for a short time. It’s all made up anyway.

8. You are never alone. You can always ask for support.

9. Permission has always been granted. Go for it.

10. Life isn’t always easy but there can always be ease.

11. No one really knows what they’re doing. Have fun!

There are many more musings to share and there will be many more wisdoms to collect as you grow.

You are always supported.

Trust yourself, you really do know.

Happy adventuring.

Live it well.

With love, care and laughter,

You

As she sat on the edge of her bed, everything buzzing within her, she felt one overwhelming thing.

Gratitude.

The presence of the moment.

Her need to rush had dissolved.

So had the urgency to get somewhere other than here.

Trust had become her friend and had lead her to this.

“Thank you.”

She whispered.

Thank you.