the blue muse

I am the first to admit that I am not a big fan of the water. Mainly because I can barely swim. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to swim, but I have always been afraid of the water, so I rarely put that knowledge into practice. I can swim from side to side in a pool as long as I know I can grasp the opposite wall after a few strokes, but that’s about it.

Whenever I am in, or on, water that is over my head, I feel uneasy. When it is a lake, or in this case, the St. Lawrence River, I always wonder how deep it is, how many souls are down there, what kind of creatures lurk in the depths. Boats are okay if they are big. I am not a fan of canoes, or rowboats, or even small motor boats. I have to wear a life jacket, even if no one else does.

And I love to be near the water, the sound of it, the sparkle, the soothing comfort. I am happy to play by water’s edge and let the big kids do all the swimming. I can sit on the beach with a book for hours and hours and let the world slip away, into the water, carried off by the waves.

Quite simply, I love to be outdoors. Growing and reaching for the sun. I love wide open spaces, big sky that makes you stand tall. I love paths in the woods lined with ferns and dappled sunlight. Nothing makes me feel as peaceful as being in the woods, all that green, all that quiet. I love to be in my garden, tending my babies, puttering, observing all the nuances of nature.

But every once in a while, it is good to broaden your horizons. To overcome your fear. To step into that chilly water and watch as life runs over your toes. It might be cold at first, but you get used to it. There are river rocks to be found, little treasures that measure the passage of time in their curves. Bugs that skim across the surface, dancing their way through life. Birds that swoop and swim and dive.

Sometimes we have to step out of the boots that we wear everyday
and jump into the puddles.

Big puddles, small puddles, it doesn’t really matter.

What matters is that you get your feet wet.

this post is part of you capture: water