The Dock Of The Bay — Under New Skies

Sep 6

Sep 6 The Dock Of The Bay

“Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide roll away”…

It’s been fifteen years since I spent a summer on the east coast. I sit back and watch sporadic thunderstorms bruise the skies; blackish clouds cloaking the heavens, thundering off in the distance, creeping closer and closer until the ricochet of sound electrifies directly above. Rain suddenly spews down by the gallons, warm and steamy, and the smell of it is one of my most favorites. I can see the water’s surface before me vibrate in every direction, ripples following ripples, pinpricks of splashing drops everywhere.

Life has slowed down for us, pressing pause and kicking back. We’ve officially retired our trusty backpacks, our passports haven’t seen a fresh stamp for nearly 2 months, and our modest assortment of clothes now reside safely in drawers. We’re waking up to the chirping of birds and the next-door fishermen, and falling asleep to the soft lullabies of an army of crickets. Everyday, my bare feet strum the freshly-cut grass, my open toes feel pinpoint prickles from each blade. Jeremy and I sway back-and-forth in rocking chairs on the back porch, watching the seagulls, cranes, and swans soar and float, swoop and dive. “Dolce far niente”… the sweetness of doing nothing.

We realize this is a sweetly precious time in our lives right now, being beside cherished family for every moment and for every meal, and when nothing is certain for us, but everything is possible. I think that’s the thing about certainty, most of the time it’s a survival mechanism. Certainty brings comfort. Uncertainty brings growth. I go about everyday with contentment at my core, but I hold a golden ticket in the palm of my hands when I’m sailing into the boundless unknown every once in a while.

Maybe our life right now is like sitting on the dock of the bay, with our feet far from sturdy ground, casually dipping in and out of the changing tides. I’m beside Jeremy, with his pirate smile and his patient presence, and I can see just beyond the cove lies the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.