The sign said it all. Except, the potholes didn’t seem all that deadly. In fact, they did not meet up to their billing at all.

But perhaps, that was the point of the sign. Not to predict what truthfully lay ahead but rather, to get drivers to slow down, be cautious, pay attention to the road and its possibilities.

Imagine if life came with such a sign. 

Imagine if we were each born with a “Deadly Possibilities Ahead: Live With Caution<” switch.

Imagine if we never tried. To live outside our comfort zones. To experience new things. To venture new places. To meet new people.

Imagine.

The road of life can be filled with deadly potholes. It can also be filled with moments that take your breath away. With vistas that inspire your heart to leap for joy and throw all caution to the winds of fate as you throw yourself into living this moment passing by.

These are the moments worth living for. These are the moments worth adventuring towards. These breath-stealing moments of pure and utter delight where you are immersed in the wonder of being alive, right now.

These moments where every fibre in your body leans into the edge as you leap in freedom-drenched joy.

These moments where you scream out loud in sheer exhilaration and send your voice into the winds of time capturing every sound you make.

These moments where you dance fearlessly in the delight of being alive in this moment right now. At this place, right here. In this way, exactly as you are exactly as the world is around you, right now.

We walked along Wickinnish Beach yesterday. Ran through the waves. Splashed and kicked up frothy sun-speckled water. We laughed and spun about and sat quietly in the sun, woaking up the splendor of the moment, the time right now.

We did not walk with caution. We did not watch for potholes but instead, watched for whales spouting off the shore. Watched to see their giant bodies arc along the curling surface of the rolling seas.

We watched bald eagles sail upon the wind and dive down to pick up an octopus washed ashore as spluttering seagulls kept their distance and cawed in frustration.

We watched a horse and rider canter along the beach and smiled at the infrequent people we passed. We sat on the beach and listened to the surf’s rumbling roar and felt the calming rhythm of the waves wash over us.

We were only two of a handful of people on miles of beach, soaking up the sun, reveling in the salt kissed air, and savouring the beauty of it all.

It was a glorious day. A day to spend hours in the sun at the edge of the land where sky meets sea. Streaky wisps of clouds drifted high overhead while we soaked up every ounce of joy.

Life doesn’t come with warnings of potholes ahead. It comes with its invitation to live it, right now, and savour the  moment, right here.

I’m so grateful.

  We have been here at the westerly edge of Canada for four days now. Four days of walking beaches, exploring tidal pools and rain forests and sipping wine on sundrenched decks at the edge of the water and sharing stories and delectable offerings of Tofino’s restaurants. Four days of letting the world fall away as we fall into the spirit and essence of being at one with the world around us, peaceful in our environment, joyful in eachother’s company.

It takes time to let go of the busy, I have concluded. Time to drop feeling the need to check emails, respond to texts, worry about what is going on, back there, in the not so real world of having to get things done to keep the world going.

The world goes on without my direction. It moves without my effort. It continues without my input. All the world needs from me is to be present, be conscious, be here, where ever I am, as I am and delight in its beauty all around me.

Yesterday, C.C., my eldest daughter, Alexis, who joined us for the weekend, and Beaumont hiked down to Schooner Cove. We walked the boardwalk through the rain forest, traipsed up and down multiple moss trimmed staircases that spanned tree fallen gullies and a burbling stream running its course to the sea beyond the trees.

When we reached our destination, the woods fell back where the sand reached out to kiss the sun-speckled waters lapping at the shore. Gentle waves ebbed in and out, rolling ashore in one long curving crest of white frothed water. 

Beaumont ran and chased the waves, following C.C. where ever he voyaged along rocky outcrops lining the shore.

Alexis and I wandered aimlessly behind, me carrying my shoes, my bare feet lapping up the cool clear waters, my toes digging gleefully into the sand. Alexis snapped photos, racing ahead to entice Beaumont into posing for the perfect photo of bliss on the beach.

Ahhh yes. This is bliss. This is heaven.

Later, we dropped Alexis at the Greyhound Bus Depot for her return to Vancouver before returning to our cabin on the beach, our home away from home at Crystal Cove, a delightfully laid back resort on MacKenzie Beach. After a delicious late afternoon nap, we packed up our picnic basket and headed to the beach for early evening wine and appetizers. Beaumont fell in love with pistachio nuts which C.C. thoughfully shelled for him while the crows jockeyed for position with a Bluejay, begging for their quota too.

And the sun set behind a tree covered outcropping of rock and the cool evening breeze caressed our skin and bliss embraced us all over again.

Ahhh. This is life in all its rich, vibrant, delicious hues. This is Love.

A diamond is the perfect expression of flaws in the earth. 

Family is the perfect expression of loving one another with all our flaws.