Today was the last of the season. At the beginning of winter, this water temperature feels frigid. Today, I relaxed and enjoyed it. I started this tradition as a way to force myself to think about life and meditate. I choose to go at sunset because it represents an ending.
I use the time to think about mortality because our body and our mind tell us not to get into the frigid water. By making peace with the idea and realizing that after a few minutes, everything is numb, it helps me relax and let things take their course. I think about loved ones that are no longer with us, and I think about our place in things once we leave Earth.
At the beginning of winter, the season itself feels like a sunset because the warmth and coziness of summer is fading away into darkness. Now, the end of the winter feels the same, saying goodbye to laying in the bay to be by myself and think.
The idea of knowing something’s gonna stink for 10 minutes, getting in there and doing it anyway, and realizing by the end of the 10 minutes that you miss it, is one of the most powerful experiences I could ever describe. I will miss my little cove for the next eight months. I look forward to coming back at Thanksgiving! Me: See you then. Bay: I’ll be here.
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