The Wisdom of the Ocean

I take my heavy heart to the beach in the mornings. I try to imagine the waves carrying every little sorrow out to sea, tumbling them around in its powerful currents, and then bringing them back to me, all beautiful and polished. After walking the coast for an hour, I reluctantly turned to go home. I noticed footprints of all the other people who also came to the beach that morning. I wondered if they come for the same reason. Or maybe they've already learned some life lessons and are coming to bask in the wisdom of the ocean for the strength to start their day. When I reached the top of the hard to climb sandy entry, I turned to see all the footprints heading in every direction. I said a prayer for each set of tracks that they would all have strength for the journey of their day. And I prayed that I could be perhaps be the kind of person that helps them along their way.

Djoondal

We live in the city of Joondalup, from the aboriginal word “Djoondal.” In Noongar dreaming (mythology), Djoondal is a spirit woman who picked up the stars with her long white hair and carried them to the sky. We went to an amazing show on the hillside by Lake Joondalup telling that story and celebrating the aboriginal heritage of this area. I loved how they used the large focal tree and the row of trees on the coastline as their projection screen. Lasers, lights, and drones also filled the air above us. The music was enchanting. The story was beautiful. The weather was perfect. Here is a short clip to give you an idea of what it was like.

Eucalyptus Oil

This stuff is amazing. It’s an antiseptic for small cuts. It’s a cold and flu treatment. And it’s an incredible grime cutting cleanser. This Airbnb we are in has been vacuum cleaned, but some shelves and cabinets haven’t seen a deep clean in a long time. You know that oily residue that gets on your cabinets that doesn’t come off with cleaner? I just found a top shelf that hasn’t been cleaned or wiped or dusted in years. It was nearly black. Regular cleaner just did nothing. I poured on this eucalyptus oil and it literally made a clean spot in the shape of the puddle. And then I was able to wipe it around with a paper towel and it was totally clean in a minute. I wish I had before and after photos. I love this stuff. Smells wonderful too.