You Will Always Miss Out
It’s quiet here. Sitting at a beach a little ways from home, I take a break from my walk. The spot is a jumble of big boulders and is not much wider than a city street. But I don’t mind. I get lost in the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.
take me to the sea
so that i may drown my soul
in the sound of waves
so that i may find again
the peaceful depths of silence
Due to a strong wind, the waves rise higher than usual. They look fun to play in. I consider going all the way back home to get my swimsuit. But that means abandoning the walk, which I’ve enjoyed so far.
I begin to worry. What is the right option? Walking is good, but maybe I’ll never get such nice waves again. If I go back, I’ll miss the walk. If I don’t go back, I’ll miss the swimming. I just don’t want to miss out on anything.
Doubt swirls within me. The waves crash against the shore.
***
With each moment, we have to choose how to use the limited attention and energy we have. We can only do one thing at a time.
Sometimes the choice is easy. One option looks best, and we go with the obvious choice. Yet many times, the choice is hard. We have to decide between many good options. None stand out as better than the others.
Full of anxiety, we decide. But even after we’ve made the choice, doubt still arises. We struggle against the reality that we’ll always miss out on something.
But the great loss is not that we miss out on other possibilities. The tragedy is we miss the only moment we have – right now. By worrying about what is not, we lose what is.
In my worry, I stopped paying attention to the waves. I didn’t see them rise up as they neared the shore. I failed to notice the texture and swirling color of the foam beneath them. I didn’t hear the sound of their falling. Those precious moments slipped away.
do not try to hold
to the sand that rushes by
or you’ll miss it all
open wide your little hands
and feel each grain that passes
Wherever you are, whatever you do, be there. By choosing to embrace the present moment, you surrender thousands of other possibilities. But you’ll enjoy that moment. You won’t miss out on it.
***
Sitting in a cafe an hour later, I sip my coffee. Outside, the rain pours down in sheets from the heavens.
in storms you may miss
that each small raindrop contains
a world of blessing
Swimming would have been fun, but after going home and getting ready, I wouldn’t have had much time before the rain started. And I probably would not have finished my walk afterwards.
Walking gave me the chance to move slowly, to breathe the fresh air, and to embrace life. It let me notice beautiful things: the purple flowers beside the path, the young rabbit on the lawn, and the red bird beneath the bushes.
Even the rain is a blessing. It brings needed life to the fruit and vegetables that nourish me and many others. I feel grateful for it.
I wonder though. Would I have appreciated the rain had I gone swimming? Or would I have felt frustrated that it disrupted my plans? I suspect the later.
With a smile, I return again to my coffee. I could be doing other things right now. Some of them I might even enjoy more. But I am where I am. And it is a wonderful moment.
###
PHOTO: The joy of a wave.