Sunday, May 13, 2012

Chicken soup for the unemployed's soul

I confess to being a complete and utter soup fiend.  I would happily live on it every day if I could.  As we speak I have a massive pot of chicken noodle soup bubbling away!  Perfect for today's chilly weather and, as the inspiring books of the same name imply, I firmly believe that chicken soup is indeed food for the soul.  However, once in a blue moon a situation arises that even a steaming bowl of comforting soup won't fix and when that happens, this is where I go.


This is Whangamata beach, where I am lucky enough to live.  The island on the left hand side is technically called Clark Island but I've been calling it 'my island' as long as I can remember, much to the annoyance of my children.  At low tide you can walk across there and you can even climb to the top of it, although this I have yet to do as I'm far more comfortable sunbathing at the bottom of it.  This beach resembles chicken soup on a big scale for me.  I've walked along it, ran across it, played cricket on it, lazed on it for hours and cried many a tear on it when nobody's looking.

I don't know what on earth my problem was at the weekend, maybe I just got out of bed the wrong side, who knows?  But whatever the reason I was stuck in a big, blue funk and nothing seemed able to get me out of it.  No amount of reassurance from my loved ones would convince me I wasn't useless, jobless, friendless, penniless - I know, I know, break out the violins!  As my horrible day drew to a close and the light started to fade I had two choices - one, retire to my bed, pull my duvet over my head and hope everything was better in the morning - or two, drag my butt down to the beach for some fresh air.  Hopeful looks from a rather overweight spaniel forced me to choose the latter and I'm very glad I did as this was the scene that greeted us as we appeared over the top of the sand dunes.  The sea was like glass, a boat cruised silently past and a lone paddle boarder, er, paddled.  All at once my dark thoughts and endless woes disappeared as I realised I was in quite possibly the most beautiful place in the world at that moment and I had everything to be grateful for.  I challenge anyone to go to the beach and not feel instantly better!

TODAY I LEARNED: That everyone has their own, personal 'chicken soup'. You just have to find it!

2 comments:

  1. Once again you are I are running parallel lives. Felt a bit lost/bored yesterday afternoon and just walked up to the park next to the beach. Just sitting on the park bench looking at the sea, the island in the distance (Moreton Island) and watching a container ship sail past made my spirits soar. I also gave thanks for living in such a beautiful place.

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  2. I once read that to stop depression in its tracks you Do The Opposite Of What Your Depression Tells You To Do. So if it says do not leave the house, leave the house! It has saved me from falling too far into the black hole.

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