I have always wanted a forever person to sit on the beach with me. I have longed for someone to see what I see in the waves and in the water and in the sand and in the sunrise and the sunset through all the seasons of my life.

To sip coffee in the morning and wine at night. To smile, to laugh, to pontificate, to walk the shore, to simply be.

I have longed for that forever person to sit on the beach with me.

To know and be known, to love and be loved, journeying through the ups and downs, and holding on with strength and joy through it all.

I have longed for that forever person to sit on the beach with me.

It has taken me too long to realize that the forever person is me.

I sit with joy as the breeze touches my face. I remember with gratitude the countless stunning shorelines I have seen.  I’ll always have me - to take in the beauty and walk the coast. I can always dig my feet into the sand. My soul can always find nourishment and refreshment in the sound of the waves as they rise and fall and crash and ripple and rest, just as life does.

I can sit until the sun has fully set. There is no rush to leave. I can close my eyes and breathe in the crisp air for as long as I desire, with only me to tell me when my soul is full enough to return to the chaos that awaits away from the water.

I can sit with joy and peace with me - forever- knowing that no one else experiences beauty the exact same way I do . I can hold this beautiful treasure within my spirit. I have learned what it is to be safe with myself and speak words of truth and grace and hope and compassion over my life.

People will come and go on the shoreline with me. I’ll take walks on the beach with friends and family. I’ll sit and laugh and play with people I love. People will come and go. Perhaps someone will come and stay.

But I’ll always have me. And I am learning the deep peace of contentment to sit with me.