Stories from the Beach

My sister-in-law, Sandy, is very creative and loves to craft presents for her family and friends.
A few weeks ago she and my brother visited us en route to Ireland. Much to my delight, she gifted me with this picture.

Her materials? Things most of us would throw away—debris from the beach near her home, an old magazine, a scrap from a dry palm frond and a length of old skirting board.

As first I looked at the picture and enjoyed its intrinsic beauty. But after a few days I found myself comparing it to a favourite novel—you know, one of those books which you cannot put down because you just have to read one more page to see what happens, then one more chapter, then another, then another . . .

The two characters sitting on their wooden bench intrigued me. Sure they were just four little pebbles, but those pebbles had been tumbled and buffeted in the sea, then sand-blasted until they were smooth and rounded. Life with all its ups and downs had probably smoothed the couple's rough edges and shaped their personalities. Backstory!

Who were they? Undercover cops? A couple watching their dog play in the surf? Colleagues on a lunch break? Friends taking a vacation together?  Smugglers waiting to pick up contraband? The possibilities were endless.

What ifs sprang to mind. What if a helicopter crashed in front of them? What if a diver emerged from the sea? What if a diamond necklace washed up at their feet? What if a beached jellyfish stung their dog and it had a severe allergic reaction and couldn't breathe? What if that dog was a guide dog? What if . . .

And then there was the heart. Perhaps this was the start of a new romance and the book ended with "and they lived happily ever after". Or maybe not. 

What were those people feeling? Were they grieving? Were they excited about a new project? Were they jealous of someone's success? Were they anxious? Were they . . . 

I want to care about the characters when I read. I want to bite my nails when the protagonist is making a serious mistake, hold my breath when she is in danger and sigh with satisfaction when she overcomes obstacles to fulfil a lifelong ambition.

The single word "faith" stood out. I love reading inspirational books which deepen my faith in God and help me to have a closer relationship with Him. After all, Jesus used stories to teach His followers. Would these characters follow God's way or chase after their own desires. What could I learn from their lives?

The picture captured a lovely setting. I could smell the salt laden air, feel the hot sand between my toes and lose myself in the constant swirl of the water on the beach. 

My sister-in-law sanded patches of white paint off the skirting board to reveal the blue undercoat, which added depth to the sea so that it looked real. Aha, there's the subtext lurking beneath the story, adding an extra dimension to the novel.

Thank you for my seascape, Sandy, it's a picture to treasure.

Note to blog readers:

These are a few of my thoughts. Now it's your turn? What do you see in Sandy's picture?