Coffee Stories
When the ocean can’t fix everything, but damn it tries
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions, both personal and professional. My dad is at the beginning of the end of his life, and Indiana feels like a million miles away from Florida. Newspaper deadlines and special publication projects kept me chained to my desk for four straight days – writing, editing, interviewing, coordinating everything it takes to bring multiple projects together in an impossible amount of time. Zach got sick. Really sick. Strep throat. And he NEVER gets sick.
Yesterday, I knew I needed the beach.
I don’t know how to describe the beauty of a 65-degree, sunny Florida day on the beach. The ocean, the seagulls, the seashells – they remind me of who I am, why I’m here and to enjoy it all. I walked with my hair down, feeling the wind whip it around, wild and free. There’s something about leaving it loose, letting it do whatever it wants, that feels like permission to be messy when life is messy.
When I got home, refreshed and filled with blessings and happiness, I looked in the mirror and laughed. There I was – sand on my nose and hair that looked like the definition of wild beach curls. Inside and out, I felt beautiful fresh off the beach.
I knew I needed a shell yesterday. I found a gorgeous yellow-to-white shell with an ombre gradation of color. It’s on my desk now. And because I can never pick just one, there are a couple more in the console of my car – my reminders that I made it through last week and I can tackle the next.
As long as I can take walks on the beach, search for seashells, let the sand squish between my toes and remind me that I am alive – the rest?
Beach hair. Don’t care.
This is your beach walk reminder. And you’ve earned it. ☕
My word stack for today:
Beach + Hair + Don’t + Care
beach. [beech] noun, Origin: Old English bæce A place where endless waves wash away the world’s chaos and every sunrise promises a fresh start.
hair. [hair] noun, Origin: Old English hær What you worry about controlling until you realize the best days are when you let it do whatever it wants.
don’t. [dohnt] contraction, Origin: do + not (1630s) The moment you stop trying to fix everything and choose to simply be present in your own beautiful mess.
care. [kair] verb, Origin: Old English caru What you release when you understand that not everything deserves your energy, especially other people’s opinions of you.
These mugs are part of our Coffee Stories collection – word stacks inspired by my personal journey shared in these posts. Each memoir piece becomes a stackable memory you can hold in your hands. Start your own collection and create combinations that speak to your journey.
