A Quiet Place for Me

The beach for me has always been a myriad of experiences, and emotions.  It's been a place of play, fun and adventure...and at times, a place of quiet, reflection and prayer. On recent walks along the shore I've found these fragments of shell that are silky smooth on one side, reminiscent of the "worry stones" my Mum had when I was a little girl- easy to hold in one hand and rub with your thumb as you say a prayer to symbolize rubbing the worry away.  They are vivid in hue, like my favorite sunrises and sunsets here in South Carolina, and I find them on every beach walk so far this summer.  They have become my little gift from the sea to remind me that my worries are small compared to the vast Universe, and that we are relatively smaller than the tiniest grain of sand under our feet as look up to the heavens.

See if you can find some of these "worry shells" on your next visit to Myrtle Beach, and treat yourself to a quiet time along the shore.