“There are only three stages to this work: to be a beginner, to be more of a beginner, and to be only a beginner.”
—Thomas Merton
“Resolve to be always beginning – to be a beginner.”
—Rainer Maria Rilke
“Always we begin again.”
—Saint Benedict of Nursia
“Each morning ask where you need to begin and start there with humility, compassion, and with holy anticipation. Everything else follows this.”
—Christine Valters Paintner
Today was a day to begin again. And what a wonderful day it was! I took a few lessons from the exhaustion of the last few days and purposed to simply be content with what the day presented.
We decided to set aside our greed for experience. Knowing that it is impossible to see everything, that there will always be more to see, no matter what pace we set, we determined to slow down and savor. We had intended to drive down Big Sur. But instead…
We slept in! And then I spent the morning with a mug of tea and my journal. Glorious!
We set out around lunch time bound for Fisherman’s Wharf. We were amused by the sign at the Visitor’s Center that allowed us only 24 minutes of parking. What, I wonder, would have happened if we stayed for 25 minutes?
Lots of construction near Fisherman’s Wharf made it not the best place to stop. A drive along Cannery Row yielded some possibilities, but nothing really caught our eye. We soon found ourselves in Pacific Grove, a community of Victorian Era houses and incredible views right on Monterey Bay. John wanted to stroll and take pictures. I was content to park myself at a little cafe with ocean views and soft music in the background. I savored a delicious panini and an almond milk chai while taking advantage of the free WiFi to do some writing. This may just have been my favorite two hours of the whole trip! It was utterly restorative!
When John returned, we decided to just enjoy the coast. We drove along the road that follows the shore, stopping wherever the mood struck us. One of the first spots we stopped had plenty of rocks on which cormorants roosted. We must have spent half an hour watching the waves and photographing the rock formations. Just as we were about to leave, I thought I saw one of the rocks move. Upon closer inspection, we realized that some of what we thought were rocks were actually seals! Naturally, we stayed for a good bit longer to watch the seals just nap. I think they may have figured out something profound about life!
What lessons can I draw from this experience? Stillness and patience pay off. Often even what is right under your nose isn’t obvious. It can take waiting, watching, studying, and listening for truth to be revealed. But the results are so worth the effort and the wait!
Another stopping spot a little farther along the coast held more beautiful views of rocks and waves. It wasn’t until we were about to leave that we realized a raft of sea otters (or possibly a herd of seals) was feeding right off the coast. Although I couldn’t get a clear picture, I could watch them fairly well with the help of John’s binoculars.
One stopping spot allowed us a bit of access to a fairly rocky beach. Although walking on the coarse, very loose sand was challenging, it meant we were able to watch the hermit crabs in the tidal pools in the rocks. I was also amazed at the varieties of seaweed clinging to the rocks above the low tide line. I had no idea they were so lovely!
We had enjoyed our day of beginning again tremendously. We both agreed we needed to just relax and play. And be quiet. It was good for the soul and allowed us to see many things we would have missed.
“Nature never rushes, yet everything gets done,” wrote Donald L. Hicks. A good lesson to learn as I begin yet again. Now for the beginning of the rest of our journey…
