"In every curving beach, in every grain of sand, there is a story of the Earth."
(Rachel Carson)
Stubborn Stuff
Ever notice how sand finds ways to carry itself home from the beach with you? You might find yourself puzzling over sand in your dryer lint trap long after you’ve returned from an ocean visit. It’s tenacious stuff.
I also think it’s a terrific metaphor.
Those Jars
Those of you who have been in my physical office might have noticed that there are multiple jars of sand there, showing off their varying textures and colors. Most of that sand came from other people’s journeys. There is nowhere that I feel more at home than at the ocean, but I only rarely manage go myself. (I’m working on that!)
Each time a friend or client has taken a trip that involves sand, (aside from Hawaii where it is illegal to take the stuff,) I’ve asked them to bring me back a half cup. The results are spectacular! I even have Kalahari Desert sand now!
Why Sand?
Sand is the result of millions of years of turn and change.
- It’s little bits of dirt that your ancestors walked on.
- It’s light-catching quartz that has been ground down and ground down, turning and churning until its rough edges are smooth.
- Sometimes it’s gypsum or sandstone, ground down to a powder so fine that it can feel like silk between your toes. (Shout out to Florida’s Gulf Coast!)
- At times, it’s the byproduct of once-living sea organisms that have supported the ecosphere both in their lives and in their afterlives, as sand.
- At other times, it’s bits of lava— the deeper, inner core of the Earth — spewed forth in a fiery volcanic eruption and then cooled by the ocean’s caresses.
Sand happens in all sorts of different ways. Elements break down and reform, at times violently, ultimately becoming something crave-worthy. Each grain of sand holds a history of great struggle.
The sand jars in my office are testimonials to turmoil, transformed into great beauty, one grain at a time.
In Community
Isolated and found in unexpected places, sand can be annoying as crap! From the grand annoyance of sand in your swimsuit long after you’ve rinsed off, to curious bits from God knows where that mischievously find their way into your shoes, isolated sand doesn’t seem to have much good purpose, aside from pulling us into an often unpleasant, stark awareness of “here and now.”
When it’s gathered together in one place to form a beach or a desert, when it’s embedded in the mesas in Navajo territory, or heated at high temperatures until it turns into radiant glass? Sand is spectacular.
Beach Blessings
Beach sand is such a giver! It’s home to a gazillion creatures. It holds treasures washed up from the ocean. It inspires play, artistry, contemplative walks, romance, passion, sports, exercise, community. We often think of “The Beach” as a monolith. More accurately, it is countless teeny tiny memorials to struggle and resiliency, all gathered together in one place, arranged and rearranged endlessly for purpose after purpose after purpose.
At times that purpose is simply to be. Just knowing it’s there brings me comfort and joy.
Life Truly Is a Beach
And so we are: Bits of sand created from struggle, turned and churned into something beautiful. We are so much better, so much more meaningful, purposeful, when gathered together for a common purpose.
May your struggles manifest in beauty, may you join together with like-minded others to bless the world for the good, and may all of your isolated bits find their way home.
...........................................................................................................
Are you feeling isolated? Struggling to find your purpose? Contact Tiffany today. Let’s talk.