Sea Glass

I don’t believe anyone would call me crafty. I knitted a hat once in Girl Scouts that nearly traveled to my knees. I have never been one particular about details.

Recently I became inspired to look for sea glass. I wondered the difference between ‘sea glass’ and ‘pieces of glass found by the sea’. The edges of sea glass are smooth and worn by time, by sand, by grit, and years of waves washing over them. The pigment is often clouded, yet the treasure seems profound.

‘Pieces of glass found by the sea’ are sharper, shinier…adolescent - sea glass in training. There are moments I decide to leave them be by the shore so time can work its magic. Other times I pick them up - at very least to keep beach-goer’s bare feet out of harm’s way.

Life is like sea glass - the time, the grit, the years of waves washing over us, creating profound treasure-smoothed edges, clouded perhaps, but a wisdom gained through life’s variable weather. My daughter, she is a ‘piece of glass found by the sea’: she is sharper, shinier, she glistens in sunlight - awake with new ideas. But me, I am sea glass - at peace with my now smooth edges, clouded by the challenges of life, worn, and yet valued.

It is most often time that changes us from ‘pieces of glass found by the sea’ into ‘sea-glass’ - and every beautiful, battering, peaceful, challenging moment is a gift.