I cried when I saw the sea.
The subtle power of beautiful things.
It’s evening and I’ve just finished competing at a local tournament, I lost my first match of the day to a decision. I’m tired and in need of something delicious to fill my empty stomach and so is my team.
Despite everyone on my team losing, we don’t have the atmosphere of defeat around us instead we are content with the results even though deep down we feel disappointed.
As a team, it’s essential to celebrate both our wins and losses so we decide to go to a restaurant and have dinner. We walk in and we get escorted by the waiter to our table. I’m behind everyone, intimidated by such an environment as I don’t go out often to eat but I can’t let them know I’m inexperienced so I keep my cool.
The waiter hands us the menu, I take mine and start staring at the various dishes on it. The menu in my hands, eyes looking rapidly at the speaker and the ingredients on each dish, brain in confusion not knowing what to pick, finally I settle with what my teammate is ordering — a plate of pasta and wine.
We eat then order rounds of drinks, I’m getting comfortable. The drinks are turning me into a comedian, I discover I have low alcohol tolerance so my eyes start to dim a bit. We drink and share jokes.
To shake off the alcohol, I suggest we take a walk.
Good idea, the sea is close we should go there — my teammate suggests.
Walking up to the sea, I’m asked if I’ve ever seen the sea — Just once, I reply awkwardly.
As I stand there, I suddenly sense a shift in the atmosphere. The view of the sea leaves me spellbound. I watch the water pull back and forth against the shore, creating subtle music in my ears. The gentle breeze blowing against my skin feels good, making the hair on my arms stand up. I can't resist the urge to lower my stance and feel the ground beneath my feet, so I grab a handful of sand.
I stand up with both arms extended letting go of the sand on both arms, standing like I’ve defeated the main villain of my story and I’ve conquered the world.
Suddenly I start crying…
Why am I crying? — it’s the second time I’ve seen the sea but this time felt different… very different.
It’s like having that first kiss with that girl after confessing your love to her. Those evenings when you stare at her beautiful eyes, giving her reasons why you want to be with her forever. Getting on one knee asking that famous question “Will you marry me ? and she says yes”.
When we arrive home from work, we are greeted by our furry friend wagging its tail.
Tears roll down my cheeks, I feel empty. Looking at the sea takes a burden off my heart. I’m at peace. It wasn’t sadness or joy, but rather a profound sense of being present in the moment, of feeling small yet deeply connected to something greater than myself. Moments like this are what I live for.
Days after this event, I kept reflecting on the exact reason why looking at the sea made me cry. What do you think it was?
I can’t find answers, this is why when people ask what I think of the sea I use the word perfection.
