The Man on the Beach

What a women's morning walks lead to.

I begin each day with a walk along the beach. Today was no different. It will be another sunny, hot day. As I walked on, the sand already felt warm. I could see dolphins jumping playfully in the distance, and it always made me feel peaceful .

I thought I had the beach to myself, but there was a man sitting on the sand. He looked like he was meditating. When I reached him, he smiled a very peaceful smile, and said, “It’s a lovely day. I hope it brings you many blessings.” I smiled, and replied, “and you as well.” I walked past him, then turned around, but he was gone. He just vanished. Nowhere in the area to be seen. I went about my day as I normally did, but my thoughts always went back to the man on the beach.

Again, the next morning, he was there. His smile was as gentle as the words he spoke, “Hello again! It’s a lovely morning, is it not?” “Yes,” I replied, as I walked over to him. I’m not sure why, but I sat down next to him. He was looking in the distance as he said how much he loved the ocean, the sound of the waves, and the playful dolphins. “There is too much sadness in this world, and to sit here in the morning sunlight, for just a little while, makes it all go away,” he said. He sounded different, so I asked him where he was from. He smiled, and replied, “I’m from nowhere in particular. I just drift from one place to another.” I laughed and said, “kinda like a hippie!” His smile broke into a laugh, and that laugh seemed as gentle as he was. We talked for a bit, then I had to leave and get ready for work. He smiled and said, we would most likely meet again and wished me a good day.

Work was like any other work day. A miserable place to go to where no one smiled. As an accountant, it could also be aggravating. The equation of numbers always rattled my brain, and I don’t know why I chose this profession. I really wanted out, but wasn’t sure what I would do, or could do. I’d have to give it much thought.

The next morning, my walk on the beach was met by a smile that was worth a million dollars (if not more). It was a bit breezy this morning, and he had on a white robe with what appeared to be a rope belt. Very strange, but yet, he was as mild as a lamb. We talked and I told him how I felt about my job. He said it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around, but each individual has the ability to make that right or wrong, and that is what I needed to do. Kindness pays off and throws many off their track, and the true answer to everything is simple. It is love.

The breeze was getting a bit more intense. I was mesmerized by this man, and as I let my eyes look into his, I saw his soul. His kind and loving soul. It was beginning to dawn on me who I had been talking to. I let my eyes drop to his hands, and there was my evidence. He saw, and opened his hand. The unmistakable marks were there. As I looked at his feet, the scars were there also. He gently wiped the tears from my face, and simply said, “I did it for you. I love you that much. Be at peace, and know that I am with you always.”

Then, I woke up. I came out of my dream world. I was always a non-believer, but this was all too real. That morning, as I walked down the beach, I became a true believer because there on the sand, where I met this gentle man on the beach, was his rope belt. I was quite taken as picked it up and held it close to my heart. When I turned to walk away, there he was. He smiled and said, “Yes, I did it for you,” and he was gone. From that day on, I spoke to him every day, and could hear his replies in my heart. Be kind, be gentle, and love one another. That is how we could make the world a better place.