Did you get in the water?

A few days ago I attended the funeral of my dear

friend Brian's wife Janice.  She'd battled cancer for too long

and died friday night at home amongst the people

she loved.  At the memorial service I heard someone

ask Brian "did you get in the water this weekend?"

How odd and inappropriate that question must have

seemed to some of the distant family members and

friends paying their respects.  What kind of idiot would

ask such a question of a man who'd just lost his soul mate,

his wife, his lover? " I did" Brian replied.  "It was the only

thing that kept me sane, kept me together...when I was in the 

water, for a time I was all right".

As surfers we all can relate to what Brian said.  We've

all experienced the healing and soothing

power of the ocean and of surfing.  We've all probably had

some kind of experience where we've found solace, peace, and

escape in the waves.  

There are surely many explanations and reasons why

we find surfing such a powerful and potent experience. It's really not

that important to know why is it?.  Let's just be grateful

that we can, and do.

Did you get in the water today?