Sometimes it is what it is

15 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

by Dr. Tricia Wolanin in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

Yesterday morning, after I woke up and made a cup of chai tea, I spilled it on my furry slippers.  It was odd, but I thought nothing of it.  I was simply too tired. Before I got into the shower, I noticed brown on my slippers, and thought this was strange.   But it wasn’t until I got into the shower and washed my feet, particularly my right foot and saw something brown on there that wouldn’t come off.

            It wasn’t dog poop or any type of animal poop, as the smell was not strong.  But what was it? And why wouldn’t it come off? I began to analyze this.  It was on my right side of my body, linked with the masculine side, the logical industrious part of me.  Why had tea spilled on me, was I being warned that I should look at my feet?  Could it be that this was a metaphor that my life was really shitty and horrible, and I am amongst it at the moment?  Was it a positive sign I should borrow from other traditions, that if a bird poops on you, it means good luck.  It smelled like dead batteries or oil.  I didn’t know what to make of it.  I told my friend Isabella about this situation, and she said that growing up as a native Californian, it’s normal to step on tar on the beach.  These are remnants of oil washed on sand.  When I told her, I didn’t know how to analyze this in the meaning of my life, she said:

            “Sometimes you step on tar, and it’s just tar.”

            Or

            “Sometimes you just step in poop.”

            There may be no metaphorical or spiritual meaning to this, which is what I usually try to seek.  It is what it is, and that is okay.  It was a great reminder, that there are so many ways to view a situation: as a victim, from a spiritual perspective, analytical, metaphorical, or logical.  All could be possible, or it could just be literal. Choice is yours.

Our Beach Personalities

18 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

by Dr. Tricia Wolanin in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun. “ – Sandy Gingras

I am lucky enough to currently live walking distance to the port and beach.  Bella and I go nearly everyday.  And one thing I love to do is watch people as they engage with the sun and beach.  The area I am in is the Costa del Sol, entitled this after an excessive amount of days of sun per year.  Due to the fact that the average is around 325 days of sun, there are many tourists, retirees, and transplants from colder countries during the winter months.  

I witness people first walk onto the port, seeing the Mediterranean and the sun on a winter day. They seem stunned by the beauty.  Selfies are taken.  People sit at the first restaurant at the port to take in the local musicians, and drink a sangria or cana.  Their shoulders relax.  People then continue their stroll down the port, and eventually head to the beach.

It’s here I observe the moment they have been waiting for.  Although the sea is too cold to swim in at the moment, some still do.  It’s normal to see children get excited when arriving at the beach, because this is what children do.  But oftentimes, the adults become childlike as well.  I noticed a woman who seemed so happy being here on a weekday, that she started to slow dance with the ocean.  I saw another woman playing tag with the ocean waves that came to shore, she was in jeans and tried to run away as they came close to her.  Of course the ocean won that round, as they generally win the majority of rounds.  But the other day I saw something that will be etched in my memory.

The weather was warm, it was in the 80s (or 25 plus celsius), therefore more people were in the water.  It was the first weekend, I was in a bikini.  This is how warm it is.   There was a man who looked like a local with his son, he seemed to have just gotten out of the water.  His son laid on a towel in the sand.  This man rolled in the sand like he was a sushi roll being wrapped.  He did it with joy.  With his arms up and showed his child how great he was feeling.  Generally the sand is something everyone I know avoids, but he embraced it.  He left it on for at least ten minutes, maybe it served as an exfoliator as one does in the Dead Sea or in the spas.  Eventually he took another dip in the Mediterranean and appeared refreshed.  This was actually a joy to witness. 

I’m sharing this on the blog because it made me smile.  It served as a reminder that I need to be present to find pleasure and appreciation in another’s joy.  I wouldn’t have witnessed it if I was on my phone, and no I wasn’t quick enough to capture it on camera.  But it’s etched in my mind.  I want to encourage you to be present each time you are outside, not only to be with all of nature, people, and animals that are around you, but to observe the little things in strangers around you.  Happiness is all around.