Gift from the Sea

It is my gift today
It came gradually
It was unexpected.

The day was cold
Bundled in my hoodie
I walked along the lonely shore
Little drops of rain came
Twice I turned back
But something inside me knew
That a gift was waiting
So I walked on …

Memories and reflections came
Of the lives of my beloved and me
And of our plan
What she knew
And I am to learn …

The tide was low
Areas of dry sand left by the retreating waves
Were an invitation
Time stopped, there was no  hurry
As I lingered with the sand and the wind and the waves
And I knew the course of my life to come
Not the content but the quality
Life lived in each precious moment
No anxiety about the moments to come
A gift from the sea
For my beloved and me.