Stuck in the sand

I stand here on the shore, both feet firmly placed onto the sand and watch how the tide is running out.

The horizon is blurred, tears running down my cheeks.

While my feet sink deeper and deeper into the muddy ground I wonder where all these years have gone by.

Every year, so many tides feel the same, lost in my way, a mind filled with overwhelming thoughts, fears and doubts, full of regrets of what could have been.

I am stuck in the sand, nowhere to go.

The water flows to the horizon merging with the sky.

Where will the waves go, which shore will they reach?

They are on their journey and I’m standing here anchored in the sand.

How can I move from here?

How can I get out of this trap I buried myself, my dreams in?

I want to follow the waves and go on new adventures, leaving the past behind, starting anew.

I want to follow the spark of joy that is still flickering in the depth of my heart.

I want to feel free and alive swimming in the ocean to unknown shores and forgetting all the sorrow for a while.

The salty breeze has left a part of the ocean staying with me to dry my tears.

I take a few deep breaths in to calm my shaking body and mind.

Courage means taking the first step.

It means not thinking about all the tides that have run out but being here with your wiggling toes that start to push the sand away.

I take the first step out of the muddy hole, place one foot onto the warm sand.

I follow the seagulls that are seeking for delicious treasures in the little pools the tide left behind.

One step after another, one step further, eyes on the horizon and on the seabed that lies there like an open field of wonder.

There’s no turning back, leaving behind only two deep footprints in the sand.

---

This is the intro essay of my upcoming book: ‘A journey with the tides’

For further information watch out this space: