Sunday, February 26, 2006

Key West Sunrise

I got up before the sun on Saturday as is my wont. I just can’t seem to sleep late anymore—not that I seem to mind. I don’t. I’m getting to be a morning AND a night person. Who would have thought it? I never would. It’s nice to have the world at peace at both ends of the day.

I got myself up and took a shower. I sat with the stufffed pup and wrote for a while. Then I took the pup out to the beach to see the sun come up together. I was thinking this might be my last day in Key West and a sunrise was on my list of things that were not to be left behind as a memory I forgot to have.

The Key West sunrise isn’t about color. It’s about space, and clouds, and wonder. It’s about thinking what creation must have been like way back when the world began.

That’s what I was thinking when I looked left and saw a mother and her daughter.
They were walking, talking, playing. The mother was all in a purple dress—a jumper—a lavender t-shirt and no shoes. Her hair was lightest ashy brown with blonde streaks that made it look lighter. Her daughter had on big short pants in pale pink and a white t-shirt, no shoes either. She was busy seeing how far her feet would sink into the wet sand. She was a little girl of about three out test driving her feet.

Every now and then, one or the other would run into the water and send a splash backto the one who stood on the beach.

An invisible arc went between them. It was love. You could almost see it glisten, shimmering there beside the sea. Strains of that silly war song came to mind, “By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea . . .”

I started to wonder whether I had ever had a feeling like that with my mother. Then I realized, of course, I must have. We all must have.

If we had not, we’d not know it when we saw it. Would we?

I looked up at the breathtaking sunrise and thought to myself I’d seen creation through God’s eyes by watching the love of a mother and her child.

—me strauss Lettingmebe

14 comments:

Trée said...

The power of a sunrise and the power of love personified. You captured both in a single post Liz. Bravo!

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thank you, Tree,
Tell Trace, I think I'll be leaving Key West soon for a new venue. So if she's coming she'd better pack her bags. You to sir. GRIN

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thanks Trace,
I don't know what to say. It was just a special feeling I had.

Going to come with me to the next place I land?

Anonymous said...

beautiful my friend(hugs)

Trée said...

Oooh, I'm all far a new adventure. I travel light and can move on a moments notice. :-)

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

We'll just have to see which way the wind blow us and where we end up. Could be anywhere, anywhere warm with blue sky that is.

smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

Going to come with me to the next place I land?

of course wouldn't miss it for anything :0)

Anonymous said...

this is a beautiful and heart-warming piece of work.
thanks for the read.

Anonymous said...

"The Key West sunrise isn’t about color. It’s about space, and clouds, and wonder."

Love this observation, Liz. It makes something inside me feel more expansive, more open. As much as I enjoy color, even crave it at times,space & wonder move me deeper into the experience. Thanks for a great vacation. I've really enjoyed this one. I even saw a license plate yesterday from Key West and had to do a mental double-take. LOL!

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

YEA!
I can't wait to find out where we end up!
smiles,
Liz

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi dsnake1
Welcome back,
Thank you for your words of enouragement, and for joining us on your little vacation of the mind. Do come along. I don't know where we'll end up next, but it'll be warm and wonderful
Liz

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Dawn,
Goog to see you're still with us on this virtual vacation. I really am finding it good for the soul and I hope that you are too. I know what you mean about color versus the space and the wonder. Somehow the color seems to make my eyes narrow things . . .

Anonymous said...

HI there! I wanted to let you know that I featured your blog on my blog today. I found yours to be very beautiful and inspiring!
I plan on making it a daily visit :)
Thank you!
(its a brand new blog and site...not much there yet...but gotta start somewhere! :)

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Bella,
Thank you, that's such a nice thing for you to do. Keep hanging out around here and you'll have lots of visitors in no time.

Hope you'll come with us to wherever we go next.
smiles,
Liz