Down the Stairs to a new pahse of life

8.16.10 Laguna Niguel
Steph and I went to the beach in Laguna while John and Ted went to the Orange County fair. It was still one of those days when it seemed like everyone was needing to be at the beach for the end of summer. It had been hot inland, but when we got to the beach after lunch with Jan, the fog was burned off and it was perfect beach weather. The water however was really like stepping into a pool of ice cubes. They keep talking about the cool summer that they have had out here, while the rest of the country bakes in weeks over 100 degrees, or close to it. I guess the water did not have time to heat up. It really felt as if it was the temperature that it normally is in late May or early June.

We had to wait for a place to park and then walk down these set of stairs to get to this little patch of beach in an postcard cove. When I first approached the stairs with all of our gear, I thought well I do not know how I will do getting back up here. This will be a challenge.

In mediation today I saw again these stairs. I heard, "You are walking into a new phase of your life. You will need to learn new skills. We have talked about how you will need a new form of protection. There have been so many changes, but it is important for you to ask for guidance and be aware about how you respond in each situation. You will constantly be moving into different situations as you travel. You will want to be able to not see all of the new noises, people and traffic as affronts. You will want to be able to ground yourself and to create a new shield for yourself that does not dull you, but rather lets you remain vibrant rather than drained by the city and the challenges of the road. "

I see that these new skills will require a constant vigilance, a constant fine tuning and remaining open in a way that I am only beginning to perceive. I am grateful for this opportunity. Steph and I took our time getting back up the stairs. When I reached the second landing, I could see the street and I knew that I could make it. I remembered to keep breathing, took breaks and did not judge myself. When Steph and I reached the top, we said..."Wow that was not so bad.