Mother Ocean
By Craig Forrest
Nowadays with Pop icons like Alanis Morisette or Madonna taking spiritual sebatcles to India and other metaphysical places to duck stardom or ponder the realmeaning of life. I tend to question if its for the right reason but the surf sabbatical really appeals to me and works rather well. A year ago when my mother passed away I was standing on the beach after her ashes were spread off into the ocean.
Down the street from our house, I glared out to the ocean and thought I needed to go on a surf trip. I felt shocked of my thought and thought that I might have been running away from my hurt and sorrow. I felt I could not face reality and that I tightly wrapped my sadness like a lonely message in a bottle bobbing in the ocean waiting to be opened. Then a revelation came over me that, maybe this was a good idea. My mother was in the ocean physically and spiritually and I would not be running away from her but joining her overtime as I paddled out. By no means was I just going on a surf trip to surf . But in reality there was a chance to experience the resonating relationship between my mother and the ocean. I simply thought that by taking my surftrip to see my mother on my terms would be spiritually enlightening . I could not fathom doing anything at that moment other then spreading my arms through a beautiful line up knowing my mom waswith me every stroke I took. There was sense of closure when I opened up to the idea. A sense that I could really mourn and usher in my new relationship with my mother in a playground that is so familiar to both of us now.
A surfer would not think this is shallow but theological. A surfer would judge the meaning not the words. When my wife and I discussed the idea we both seemed to think it was the right therapy. A few months later we were flying off to Bali to surf and most of all to be in the ocean with Mom.
Craig Forrest