Weekly Challenge: …and a Puppy Makes Three

This week’s double challenge is tiny and numbers.  I thought about the number of macro shots I could do to satisfy the first, and the second could be interpreted in any number of ways.  But then I realized I’m currently in a place where everything is rendered tiny, and everyone is experiencing this time in their own numbers.

We took a trip to the coast this weekend to clear our minds, escape the city, and wash away the stress of the past week.  We also had the added motivation of my birthday this week, so it was a good time for some of nature’s pampering.

“I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.”

These lyrics come to mind every time I visit the beach.  There is nothing more humbling than to stand face-to-face with the vast power of the sea.  The waves lull you with their monotonous lullaby, and you quickly forget the insignificant worries of your tiny life.  They serve as a reminder that the world is enormous and that anything that troubles you now isn’t even the merest speck in comparison.

 

One woman walks quietly, attempting to get close enough to a seagull for a quick snapshot.

Two friends are deep in conversation, sitting on a gnarled beach log and holding coffee cups.

Three figures disappear into the distant mist, two holding hands while the third pads happily along at their side, tail wagging.

Four family members play in the sand.

Five people huddle together for a windblown selfie.

No one on the beach has an agenda.  People aren’t staring at their cell phones.  Life is simple here.  They aren’t trying to race anywhere; they are utterly in the moment – present.

They might be lost in thought, with the crashing waves gently guiding their inner musings.  They might be taking pictures of the distant misty hills.  They might be laughing at their young daughter running away from the encroaching water.  They might just be admiring the beauty of Haystack Rock, breathing in the salty air as the wind tugs at their hair.

No matter the stories or how many with whom we’re sharing them, the ocean brings us together on a single shoreline, proves its awesome power, and makes us as tiny as the grains of sand upon which we stand.

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Want to join me in these weekly photo challenges?  Send me an email with a low-res copy of an image (1MB or smaller) that fits either of this week’s themes, or leave a comment on this post with a public link (accessible from incognito mode/logged out) to your photo on Flickr, Instagram, Facebook, etc.  Include your blog or website if you have one, and I’ll include your photo and site link in the next post.  I post each Sunday, so send your pictures by midnight U.S. Pacific Time (UTC-8) the Saturday night / Sunday morning following each challenge prompt.  I look forward to seeing them!