Friday 21 December 2007

Tides of life.


Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves.

A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket. Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.

All afternoon he will work. Spooning out the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.


Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.

A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.

All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.


Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.

Yet that is where the similarities cease. For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.

As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.

The grown up, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.

"It's my castle," he defies.

The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...


I don't know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take - applaud.

Salute the process of life and go home.

- LifeLine NZ.
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7 comments:

  1. As the boy grows older, he'll forget that the tide will come anytime and to accept the lose as something natural..

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  2. Kipling, as usual, sums it up:
    "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two imposters just the same.."

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  3. Terry Irwin reckon that's why her daughter has coped so well with the passing away of her father, she learned and accepted from a young age that there is a beginning and an end.

    What a wonderful post Lee, so nice especially by the end of year to read this. I learned a lesson today, Thank You Sir!!

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  4. Salute the process of life - not the "gift," not the "right," not the problems of, but the process, which embraces both. I copied this and sent it off to several people. This is a wonderful reminder to live! Thanks, Lee.

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  5. WOW, I love that, and so appropro as the year draws to an end, eh?

    (and building Sandcastles IS one of my favourite summer "occupations"!!!)..

    you don't know much about sandcastles, Lee? -- well if I were there i'd have you down at the beach digging and packing sand to our heart's content...

    merry Christmas and Happy New Year...i awoke to snow this morning, (maybe I should head out and build a Snow Fort?)

    cheers for now,
    pj

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  6. Wow... I hope I can write something like this when I (hopefully) grow wiser..

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  7. One more thing... Merry Christmas!!!!

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