lessons learned. again and again.

There's this guy in my life who seems to be an expert on this thing called breathing. I think it has something to do with having spent so much of his life upside down in a boat under water. Or a plethora of other life details that have resulted in a pretty mellow guy.

I also just happen to have three little people around me all day, every day who - by nature of their beings - are also experts on said idea of 'breathing'.

And then there's my beloved ocean. Breath itself.

So when a crazy day - full of far more commitments than we're used to, and far too many expectations of what can be done in a day with three little ones - takes a wrong turn, and things start to fall apart? Despite my own inclination sometimes to: A - forge ahead against the grain and against all sense; or B - head home to fester the day away, I really need look no further than directly in front of me to find the answer when I've forgotten it. Stop. Breathe.

And with that - twitchy and bug-eyed, all commitments and plans are abandoned, and we drive straight to the beach. Without proper beach 'gear' or plan, we sit and play for hours until we find ourselves breathing again. Another lesson.

Comments

[sue]

so beautiful

[Libby]

It's a good lesson, one that I don't mind learning again and again!

[Grace]

Very sweet, and so true. I love A's hat!

[Bluebirdbaby]

Bare feet yesterday at the ocean? Wow! Brave Soules!

[Jen]

Good for you!

[emily]

yes, yes, yes! outstanding reminder. breathe, of course. amazing how it works.

[earthchick]

Wise family you've got there. Thanks for the reminder. I'm needing this right now....

[Deardeedle]

Love the rock piles. The texture is awesome!

[Melanie]

The perfect life lesson and a truly lovely day, spending time by the ocean!!! Thanks so much for your kind & generous presence in Blogland, it is truly appreciated.

[lilupix]

Very true.....I am so having a day like that today! And yes, unhurried time in the outdoors and a complete pull back from our 'plans' restored a bit of sanity. Isn't it funny how we literally hold our breath when thing start to go awry?

[Anne]

I think your photos will give us all a little breath today.

[heather]

always return to the breath, source.

[Veronique]

Always a good reminder. I'm a techaholic, and my favorite thing about Skype? The welcome screen instructs me to "take a deep breath" -- sad, eh?

[sue]

Looks like your day turned out 'just right.' :)

[Eren]

Again...just what I needed to hear today. (doing my best Mr. Miagi in through the nose, out through the mouth)

[Jenn]

gorgeous photos...like a breath of fresh air!

[Anna]

Looks like a fun day! What hat is daughter wearing? Did you make it?

[SOULEMAMA]

Anna - yes, details on the hat! It's too small for her now, but she isists on wearing it anyway (not for lack of handknit hats around here, for goodness sake). It's a pattern from Hello Yarn, and the original post, with the links, is here:
http://soulemama.typepad.com/soulemama/2005/06/knitting_for_ba_1.html

[Lisa Clarke]

That's one of those lessons that has to keep being learned, isn't it? But those are the days that one tends to treasure the most in the end.

[camerashymomma]

oh soulemama, this really speaks to my heart. the ocean just blows me away at such perfectly needed times. you're quite lucky to be surrounded by such great reminders of breath. thanks for sharing.

[Maire Stafford]

You are so lucky to have that on your doorstep, makes me want to move to the sea.

Maire

[kit]

This is so great, Amanda. Spot on.

I have a question after reading your lovely review of Gluten Free Girl yesterday (and I hope that, especially in the wake of your recent hard day, this doesn't feel like criticism): Is there some way you can think of that you and other bloggers could post pictures of book covers but not link to Amazon? Some readers probably love it -- the convenience -- but of course that's part of the problem, as you know...this is why Amazon has made it so hard for smaller, independent book sellers to keep their doors open. I order all my books through my local bookstore and it's no less convenient than buying through Amazon, plus I don't pay shipping, and I get to hang out in, and most important, support a local business that I love.

For some people (whose local bookstore is not right next to their food co-op, like mine is!) ordering on-site or by phone and picking up books might seems substantially less convenient than Amazon, but I still encourage people to explore their options. ANY indie bookstore will order any and all books for their customers, and it's often as fast as Amazon. (For instance, I ordered Amy Karol's book before it was out and got it before its release date, even before Amazon preorders.) Sorry for the long comment, but this is an issue close to my heart, and I'd like to remind other people out there who care about what they eat and buy, and who support their local farms etc., to "buy local" when it comes to books too!

[Jen Lynch]

Perhaps you could offer an online tutorial on this "breathing" thing? I need lessons, or at least a reminder every so often! LOL!

Beautiful photos!

[Carolyn]

I was marveling at all the pictures of the ocean and then out of nowhere the cutest hat appeared!

(A note on kit's comment)You can also order books offline from independent booksellers, often times one can't be found in your area. My favorite, which is local, is BookShop Santa Cruz (bookshopsantacruz.com)

[Rachel]

Sometimes I feel the best days are the ones without proper planning and equipment. Kind of ironic.

[Amanda]

Once again a wonderful post on the sometimes realities of parenting and wonderful ways to come through them smiling. I adore your blog for SO many reasons, but the posts I connect with most are your posts on life and parenting. That's saying a lot since I really am a crafter at heart.

[carol]

oh- if the world chugged a way the way I wanted it to, I would drop my life here and gather up my family and move to the shore. love the photos.

[Heidi]

I wish I lived so close to the ocean, thanks for the reminder to breathe!

[shari]

beautiful amanda. xo

[Stefani]

Ahhhhhhh, exhaling now :-)

[Haley]

What a great reminder. Beautiful amanda.

[Krista]

Ah, yes.

[Beth H]

So beautifully said. We coastal folks really need to remember this more often! Thanks.

[Krista]

And did you know that that phytoplankton-rich ocean is responsible for the production of more than half the world's supply of oxygen?
Yes, you've picked a good place to breathe.
I love living in a rainforest on an island for that reason alone.

[Mrs. B.]

Beautiful post...beautiful pictures.

[Joanna]

Thank you for your post yesterday about the Gluten-free book. My nephew was just diagnosed with a form of autism, and my sister is going to try eliminating dairy and wheat from his diet. I will definitely be directing her to the author's website and book. On a lighter note, what pattern did you use for the knitted "elf" hat on Adelaide? So cute! I'd like to get my mom to make it for my little Audrey. Thanks!

[Katherine]

An important lesson, Amanda. I don't live close to the ocean, but I find we begin to 'breathe' when we head into the forest. There's something so balancing about Nature. Thanks for the gentle reminder to breathe.

[kat]

the beach is so healing. i have the same forget to breathe problem it's easy to forget when stress hits but it's the most important remedy. again, love all your photos.

[Kelly]

thank you for that reminder.
and what a beautiful day at the beach!

[Visty]

That's so lovely for me to see while I scrub the moss off of me here in the Pacific Northwest. I hear we have a much-needed day of sun coming on Monday. Maybe we will drive to the ocean.

[molly]

thank you. this is perfect to read today.

[angharad]

What is it about this time of year and those kind of days? I find myself bumping up against my emotional and time limits on a regular basis these days, kids in tow usually, and have not taken nearly enough deep breaths to compensate! Thanks for the reminder!

[katie]

this post cam just it time for me. some days with in our lives just go the wrong way because we are supposed to stop and breathe I think. Although, I usually try to "go against the grain" instead. I have no idea why i do this, but the next time I am tempted I will think of this post.

[grace]

I'm sorry that theses kind of days roll around. But I think its these days that help us cherish the really good days.
Hey do you have a pattern for that cute pink hat little miss A is wearing?

[Veronica TM]

a beautiful lesson, possibly the most vital of them all.

[tara pollard pakosta]

good for you.
i NEED to do this more often.
the ONLY problem is now that i moved, my beach is an hour away>
tara

[suzie sews]

These pictures brought me peace at the end of a busy day, Oh the beach is so calming on the soul

[Kymm]

Breathing is good. I often tell people to just breathe when they come to my office upset about some little thing. After they do for a bit, I ask if they feel better. Most of them do. Amazing.

[Michelle]

I think this would definitely calm me down...but for now the mountains have to do!

Michelle

[Stacey]

What is it about guys who spend time on rivers and breathing? I see it every day with my husband and it's infused our son too. They are all great reminders to pause aren't they?