Cloudy Days at the Beach.

I expect too much of life.

I suspected it while in school, came to see it more clearly as I grew older, and now stare it squarely in the face on a daily basis. This morning, awakening at the beach on a cloudy, rainy day, I am reminded of it once again.

There is little in life better than a sunny day at the beach. Sitting, looking our at the waves breaking rhythmically as the various birds swoop down looking for unsuspecting prey, can fill my soul like nothing else. Watching as children make sandcastles, others play tag with the sea, and still others strut their youthful bodies for all to see, can turn back the years of my soul, if only for a moment. But sandcastles wash away, games lose their appeal, and bodies change.

It is tempting to expect life to remain a certain way, people to stay as I have known them, but that’s like wanting it to be sunny each and every day at the beach. Today’s rain, while disappointing at first, is also an invitation to give my sunburned neck a break, to wear long pants and socks, and explore that independent bookshop down the way for an hour or two. Accepting the change in weather is the trick. Expecting things to remain the same, the curse.

The lesson, of course, is much more important than Spring Break contentment. It’s about accepting the changes in life that come as rhythmically was the waves. “To everything there is a season,” it has been said. That includes a person, job, or relationship . . . a creative passion, interest, or calling . . .  one’s youth, health, or vitality . . . financial well-being, network of friends, family relations . . . the sense of serenity, joy, and optimism.  The sun shines equally on each, but the clouds come as well.

Learning to bask in the sun and dance in the rain is what I most need to learn. Packing bathing suit and sandles, as well as raincoat and shoes, makes for a full vacation . . . and life.