Ships Log 11/21/2014 Carole Fontaine, First Mate & Yogi Onboard Windsong.
I wake up to the sound of the clapoti of water a few inches away from my face. Keeping my eyes closed, I bathe in this moment and snuggle deep into the sheets. My whole being is being rocked gently back and forth as the waves caress the boat. My dog is laying at my feet, silently playing with a discarded sock. My husband sleeps soundly at my back. It’s warm and cozy inside and I can hear the cool wind blowing through the boat’s rigging. True to its name Windsong is singing. Chanting the song of a happy sailor safely berthed and playing with the element.
A light drizzle of rain is coming down and hitting the fiberglass just a few feet over me. I am completely surrounded by water and it’s delightful. There is comfort inside these walls. After 20 years, this space is my security, my home, my song. Sometimes my only daily contact with land is walking the dog and I don’t mind this. Before the little one joined our family I could go a few days without my feet touching the earth. But I still felt more connected to her than most of its inhabitants.
The rain envelops the boat and sends tiny ripples on the lake around me, reverberating everywhere and echoing through the hull. The sound is somewhat dulled and at the same time amplified. It’s like being in another reality, I hear the undertones of our world. It’s still dark out and there’s barely any light in the cabin. I’m floating in a reflective moment in time. A pause in an ocean of movement.
As the water cradles us, an ocean of water connecting this whole planet, I place my hand on the hull and with only one inch separating me from this vastness of fluidity, I envision the connectivity between me and the water. I’m in the water. I am the water. I am moving through the lake, to the ocean, I travel to the bottom of the sea and across oceans and to every corner of the earth.
This watery entity constantly moving and caressing our shores, carving rivers and sliding down valleys. It gives us life, birthing our evolution and a constant guardian of our humanity. It is a silent witness to humankind’s hopes and dreams, struggles and downfalls.
The wind slows down, and the rain stops. I send out songs of gratitude. In the wake of the storm I can see clearly what has brought me to this special moment and I savor my ability to be present. The gift of awakening to life with open eyes and open heart when I took over the reins of my ship. With faith guiding me, I changed my course from troubled waters to the unknown open sea of possibilities. I discovered vastness.
Some moments in time are burned in memory. I thank thee for the storm and the wind which blasted through my numbness and revived my sense of awareness. I discovered that however scary the storm may be, I have safe passage to a peaceful place inside of me. My own sanctuary cradled deep within my soul, its lighthouse beaming brightly to infinity.
Suddenly the wind picks up stronger than ever, a gust heals the boat sideways and howls through the mast. 20 tons of Windsong barely moves as it happily rocks back and forth strong in its center. Properly balanced it plays with the elements. A curtain of rain moves across the lake and closes in on us. The downpour reverberates in, all around and straight over me. I can feel the vibrations of everything – boat, waves, rain – tickling my spirit. I surrender to the dance and song of the elements. I make it my friend and we are one. It is bliss.
I contemplate what will happen when the storm passes, and I know the sun will come out again.
No matter what life brings my way, I am safe. I am the elements.
-Carole Fontaine ॐ Nam Karan Kaur
Join me tomorrow 11/22 in Hallandale Beach, Fl, from 10-12pm for my next Meditative Writing class