I spent a little time in Wexford recently wandering along a deserted beach on an Autumn morning alone with my thoughts and the sound of the waves as they slowly receded with the tide.
I walked quite quickly at the start concentrating on my morning exercise and not really paying much attention to my surroundings. However, by the time I was 10 minutes in, I began to notice all the small things and my mind began to relax and absorb the beauty of the seashore. All the delicate shells, each different, each intricate and beautiful, in a range of soft shades which blended together like a gentle watercolour in the pale morning sun.
I allowed myself the luxury of doing nothing except breathing deeply and soaking up the first rays of sunlight and listening to the gentle crash of the waves and the delicate rustling sound of the shells on the shore as the waves dragged them back out to sea.
I reflected on all of the time I had spent being too busy to notice the simple pleasures nature offers on a daily basis and as I made my way back up the beach I observed a few more early risers on the shore.
It was then that I noticed I had other company, as out to sea I spotted two seals in the water. I believe they were a male and a female and they were calling to each other as they swam along the shore for most of my walk back up the beach. They moved through the water with such ease and calm and it was lovely to witness them together.
The past year has been very difficult for us all and the reason I write this piece is to encourage others to take time out to breathe, to soak it all in and to relax your mind and let it wander. Simply put, connecting with nature and allowing yourself to just live in the moment is sometimes a great cure for the stresses and strains we face in our daily lives.