Author: sascha

Thank you..

This week’s blog is to say thank you to each and everyone one of you reading this. Thank you for reading my blogs. Week after week so many people reach out to me with kind things to say about my blogs. I wanted to take the time to say thank you so very much!

This blog comes out on the Tuesday following the Canadian thanksgiving day long weekend. My stomach is filled with turkey, all the fixings, and pumpkin pie. I ate so much I had to wear stretchy pants, yet, my heart has never been so full. I am so thankful. Thankful for family, friends, and good food. I am thankful to still be alive. I am thankful to have love, to be loved, and give to love.

I originally was going to write a thanksgiving 2020 blog about the top twenty people I am thankful to have in my life. I thought twenty seemed like a lot of people to be thankful for that was until I started to write out all the people I am thankful for. Before I knew it I had way more than twenty names, my list of people I am thankful for quickly filled up my page. My blog would have been fifty pages long, so the people I am thankful for the blog will need to be broken down into a few smaller thankful blogs.

A little over a year ago when I started this blog my general idea was to spread my life’s motto: “Do your best and if your best isn’t good enough fuck it.” I decided to put that message passed down to me from my Opa out there and see what happened.

I wanted my life’s motto to remind everyone that life is not about going hard and giving up. It is about always doing everything you can to the best of your ability. You have to keep moving forward. Life only moves in one direction. Forward. Let go of the past. Life isn’t about what we regret but what we can do moving forward to make it better. You need to give your all in order to reach the end result no matter what. You maintain focus on your goal. You can do it.

When I started blogging I wanted to share my life stories. I wanted to let the reader in on the lessons I learned along my journey. I have faced my share of battles. Some battles forced me to some dark places. However no matter how dark the place, when I wanted to give up the most I didn’t. Find your light in life. Add light to your life.

I think every person we meet and every situation we end up in teaches us an important life lesson. Share you’re lessons and help other people. I put myself out there. I share my blogs. My hope is that my writing is able to help someone along their journey.

Be thankful. Let people know you are thankful for them each and every day not just on thanksgiving.

Thank you!

In a world where you can be anything…BE KIND

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a heck of a year so far. It has definitely tested us all in many ways. The Covid-19 pandemic no matter what your beliefs are it has shaken our world. What we perceived as our “normal” way of life has been challenged and changed. I like many people struggle with change. In a world where you can be anything please be kind. The world needs more kindness.

Kindness is described in the dictionary as “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”

I will admit I haven’t always been the kindest person I know. I struggled with my own doom and gloom and getting stuck in a rut for much longer than necessary. I wasn’t unable to process life in a kind way.

Could I have been kinder to myself along the way? YES.

Could I have been kinder to others? Absolutely.

Years ago my views on kindness were turned upside down when I met Michael J Chase who is an author and founder of the kindness center. His kindness center has an amazing mission which “has been to open minds, awaken hearts, and demonstrate that kindness is not a weakness, but rather, one of humanity’s greatest strengths”. I joined his speaking event at a Louise Hay House convention not knowing how much he would change my views on being kind. He wrote a book called am I being kind? This is such a powerful question. If you have not read this book I would highly recommend it. He has written three books all of which hold inspirational messages and question how we live our lives. The world is a kinder place because of this man. Thank you for making me a kinder person.

It was a huge wake-up call in life to realize I wasn’t being kind. I was plowing through life just not caring about anything or anyone. I was living life in the fast lane merely trying to fast forward to the end. I missed out on so many moments of kindness that should have changed my life. Slow down and enjoy life.

I wasn’t being kind to myself so how could I be kind to others? I believe any sort of change has to first start with yourself. You have to want to change in order for change to work. It is never too late to change. I wanted to change my life of negativity as it wasn’t working for me. I know my inner self-love language wasn’t kind. I was my own worst critic. I was hard on myself. I judged myself. I didn’t love myself. I had some of the most horrible negative thoughts going through my head over and over.

The first step to being kind was changing the way I spoke to myself and about myself. Once I learned how to speak kindly to myself speaking kindly to others flowed naturally.

I do my best to incorporate random acts of kindness into my everyday living. I try to do at least a few random acts of kindness each and every day for other people. Be kind to others and watch other people be kind to you. You get what you give.

When I am working at my paper-pushing hospital job it is so easy to be kind and to show others you care. I work at the front desk and let’s be serious no one wants to be at the hospital. I do my best to smile, yes even though I am currently wearing a mask and my smile is hidden I promise you I am smiling. I listen to what you have to say and I do my best to be kind and helpful to each and every person on the phone and in person. From coworkers to patients and family members there is always someone who could use some more kindness.

When I am off and I get to enjoy a day to myself I try to reach out via social media to be kind and check in with friends, family or meet someone new. My website allows me to reach out to someone each and every day. I am so thankful for where this journey has taken me, from knocking on death’s door to living my best life. It is never too late to change. Share a chat and spread some kindness.

Three things I hope to pass onto this world through my work are positivity, kindness, and communication skills. Three things I once struggled with. You can always change. Be willing to change. In a world where you can be anything start with being kind.

This week makes 52

I DID IT!

I just bought myself a cake to celebrate crushing my goal. I am happy to announce this is my fifty-second blog. I did it. I reached my goal.

I started this journey posting my first blog on September 7th, 2019. The idea of blogging came from my life coach friend Patrick, thank you for giving me the kick I needed to share my stories, my thoughts, and messages with the world.

I set out with a short term goal. Write and post one blog weekly.

My long term goal was to keep up blogging for a year.

Write fifty-two blogs no matter how hard it is. “You can do it”, were the words from Louise Hay that inspired my first blog.

I will admit when I first began this journey I had no idea where it would take me. I was terrified I was going to be judged. I was scared to expose my life, my thought, and my ideas to the world.

As I began my blogging journey I could feel my old negative thinking started to creep back in. What if I am not good enough? What if people don’t like my blogs? What if my website isn’t perfect?

That’s when I had to shut down those negative thoughts and remind myself to just do my best. I took a pledge to myself. It was simple and looked like this:

I Sascha Davis will show up weekly.

I Sascha Davis will post one blog every Tuesday for a year.

I Sascha Davis will complete fifty-two blogs.

I Sascha Davis will keep writing until I reach my goal no matter what happens.

One blog per week ready on Tuesday’s for fifty-two weeks. I am beyond thrilled to eat my cake and say I DID IT!!

Was the years’ blogging experience perfect? No!

Did I learn a ton of lessons on the way and grow as a person? HECK YES!

I Sascha Davis have done my best and if my best isn’t good enough fuck it. It is as simple as that. I showed up week after week and I shared my blogs. Yes, it’s true I missed a couple of weeks along the way. I could have beaten myself up. I could have given up. I could have taken the unkind words people shared and quit. It is always easier to quit or to blame someone else. I know, I was once the queen of excuses, blame, and quitting.

I am happy I stuck with it. This has been one heck of a year that has positively changed my life. Blogging has brought so many wonderful people in my life. I am grateful for this experience and excited to see where the next year takes me.

Thank you for reading my blogs. Thank you for your kind messages of inspiration and positivity. Your feedback about my blogs has kept me going throughout the last year. I am truly touched and appreciate every one of you who took the time to send me a message.

I would love to host some guest bloggers in the upcoming year. Are you brave enough to share your stories, thoughts, or ideas with the world?

I did it.

You can do it!

Time

How do you balance your time?

What is important to you?

What makes you happy?

How do you make time for your home, friends, family, significant other, hobbies, work, responsibilities, travel, pets, or in my case time for writing?

Writing has given me a huge appreciation for time management skills. I laugh as I write this blog and that sentence as I am currently in my car in a parking garage while I wait for my son to come out of an appointment. Thank-you, Covid-19.

Today I am writing on Monday and I post my new blog on Tuesdays. Super last minute I know. I think I work best under pressure and close to deadlines.

When I first starting writing about a year ago now I set aside a block of time each day to write. At first, I found this process difficult because sometimes when it was my time for writing I had no idea what to write about. The thought of committing to fifty-two blogs terrified me. When I sit down to write sometimes I am flooded with ideas and sometimes I have nothing come to mind. Now I try to write whenever the idea comes to me. I have books to write in stashed in my car, my work bag, my purse, and even in my coat pockets. I keep paper on me at all times in case an idea hits me. Yes, I do write on my computer, tablet, laptop, and even my phone but I find the best ideas flow out when my pen hits the paper.

Having a block of time dedicated to writing seemed easy at first but when the ideas didn’t flow to me so easily having a block of writing time stressed me out. I thought I had to sit down and write the perfect blog or work on my never-ending book in progress. I started to almost dread my writing time until I removed all the stress. When it’s my time to write I just simply write. I write anything that comes to mind. Sometimes I end up journaling. Sometimes I end up working out some ideas for my picture quotes. Sometimes I start a sentence and just write whatever comes to mind. Sometimes I write about my day or what I am grateful for to give me more ideas. Sometimes I write an amazing blog or work on my book. I don’t stress I just write.

Time, you have to make time for what is important to you. Writing is important to me so sometimes I have to take time away from something else to allow time for my writing to happen. I can find time to be on my phone or watch television in the evenings so I feel like those are easy things to cut time away from to write. Sometimes I run out of time so to allow time to write I am missing out on doing chores or sleeping but I always make it work.

Whatever is important to you, you will find the time to do it. You will make time to do it. I never dreamed in my already busy schedule I could find time to write every day. I find the time. I make the time. Writing has allowed me to express myself, to share myself, and to help others. I enjoy sharing my experiences and hearing from people all over the world. Writing has opened my life up to some of the most amazing positive experiences. Writing makes me happy.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blogs week after week.

Breathe

Remember to breathe.

Catch your breath.

Focus on your breathing and remember whatever is happening right now is NOT forever. Nothing you have done in your life has been forever. Everything we experience in our lives is temporary. This moment you are worried about will pass. Just breathe. One thing you can always control in any situation is your breathing. One thing that can always calm us down is breathing.

Such a simple concept yet so many people forget about it. Breathe and focus.

Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. There’s a great technique of counting your breath to distract yourself from whatever is going on. You count in 4 on the inhale, hold for a count of seven, and then let go of a big breath out the mouth for a count of eight. This simple counting technique has saved me from saying things I know I would later regret. This technique has allowed me to slow down and process through the anger I sometimes feel.

Sometimes it just takes nineteen seconds to calm down. Sometimes I have to do this a few times over before I am calm. Sometimes I have to do this with my eyes closed in a safe place to feel like the effects of this practice working. I do this to calm down before I react in a way in which I do not wish to react. When I am calm I am acting from a place of love. When I am fired up mad, oh you better watch out, my place of anger and negativity is strong it wants to rip out and destroy all the positive work I am doing. Fight the urge. Breathe. I know my place of positivity is where I want to react from. Sometimes I just need to catch my breath in order to get back there. Slow down, focus, and breathe.

I admit I was once a very negative person. Every part of my life was negative. I wasted a lot of years being mad at temporary situations that I chose to drag around forever. I could not let go. I carried around a lot of past baggage. I relived moments that should have been temporary over and over again trying to figure out how I could fix them. You cannot fix the past. You can let go and learn how to deal with temporary situations in better, healthier ways. Always be willing to learn. Deep in the depths of my negativity, I never cared about breathing. I lived life in the fastest lane I could find. I didn’t care if I was dead or alive. I wasn’t kind and I wasn’t calm.

Shifting to positivity was not easy for me, being negative came easy to me. I did it for so many years it came naturally. Being positive was a struggle. Learning to breathe helped me battle negativity. I knew change was necessary. I knew I had to change every part of my life. I realized when I am angry I hold my breath. I was unable to even let my breath go.

When you start to get upset how do you react? How do you breathe?
Soon as I can feel my anger or negativity rising up in me I immediately focus on my breathing. If I can get through the next few seconds I can remain calm. Sometimes when I close my eyes I do a little visualization to go along with the breathing. Bring myself back down. Remain calm and react from a place of love.

Before you think this works for me every time. No, it does not. I am not perfect. I am a work in progress. No one is perfect we are all just doing our best. I simply catch my breath, focus on my breathing and I do my best, and if you best isn’t good enough fuck it.

Breathe, focus, calm down and react from a place of love, kindness, and positivity. Slow down and focus on your breathing before reacting. You cannot take back words or actions. Find your breath find your calmness.

Breathe in the positive thoughts and breathe out the negative thoughts.

What consumes your mind controls your life….

What’s on your mind?

Is your life centered on what you’re thinking about?

Are your thoughts positive or negative?

Most of my life I wasted being obsessing about all the things that I perceived were wrong or could go wrong in my life. I wasted so much time for years on repeat worrying about the things that could go wrong that hadn’t even happened yet. Yes, I thought I could see into my negative future.

Does this sound familiar?

Every single thought I had about my life was negative. You would be shocked to know my life was in a constant state of negativity.

The mind is powerful. What you put out to the world comes back to you. I put out to the world for many years that I hated my life, my luck was bad, I was unlovable, I was ugly, I was never going to succeed, I would never have enough money, and that I was an all-around horrible person.

What caused me to feel like this? It was my repetitive negative thoughts. I beat myself down and I let myself go. I gave up caring. I was stuck in a dangerous comparison game. You know the one I am talking about. I only saw the good side of people but the worst version of myself.

My shift from negative to positive came when I no longer wanted to live. When I was ready to give up on myself and for what? My negative thoughts consumed me. I chose to only see the darkness, not the light.

Deep in the depths of my negativity, there was always a teeny tiny light of positivity trying to get out of the blackness of negativity that consumed me. When I finally gave up I laid down in my bathtub ready to leave this world my thoughts had won. My dog jumped in the tub and put his sweet little head on my shoulder. He looked at me with those cute eyes and giant ears and it hit me I knew I wasn’t ready to go.

Deep, deep down like far down I always thought I was destined for a greater purpose in life. But with every negative thought, my positive light got smaller and smaller. I almost burnt that light out with the darkness of negativity. In the end I had a microscopic amber still glowing and I knew it was time for a big change.

When I decided to change my life I changed the way I thought about things and what I put out to the world. I also decided it was time to cut out the negative people in my life. You attract like-minded people into your life with your thoughts. I had a lot of negative people in my life; after all, misery does love company. Surround yourself with good people and life gets easier.

I started searching for programs, books, podcasts, speaking events, and hit the worldwide web in search of how to become more positive. I wanted to know to reprogram your thoughts into those of more positive. Is it possible to erase negativity and replace it with positivity? YES! Consume your mind with positivity.

I am not going to sugar coat this change is not easy. Change does not happen overnight. The change will strip you down to the bare depths of who you are. I will say change is worth it. It is never too late to make a change. You are never too old to make a change.

Let go of the negativity, focus on the positivity. Watch your life change for the best. I have never been happier with the changes in my life.

I choose to let go of my past.

I choose to let go of my negativity.

I choose to be present.

I choose to see the good.

I choose to be positive.

Nicknames…

Oh goodness here is the cold hard truth I am just going to say it. I am terrible with names. I have a hard time remembering names.

Since my first friend, I made I have been giving people and pets nicknames. It seems to be the only way I can remember names is to give them a fun nickname. My nicknames are usually based on how we met or something about how I remember you. Another truth, I can usually remember your dog’s names or other pet’s names before the owners ha. I swear I try to remember names but I come up blank. I hate that awkward moment when I have to ask your name again. I can’t count the number of times I have to repeat my name or spell my name. For the record this does not bother me, nor does it bother me if you forget my name because it’s not a common name or common spelling. I was nervous using my real name for my website because of the spelling, but it’s my website what else would I call it? I am Sascha Davis.

At my current job at the hospital, I work somewhere different every shift and so in my travels I meet a lot of people. It is hard to keep everyone’s names straight. First names are hard enough let alone if I am required to know your last names as well. Forgive me, friends, family, co-workers, and people of the community you all get nicknames. I don’t know why but I can remember nicknames and most time I struggle to think oh what’s so and so’s real name?

I will admit my nicknames catch on and I don’t mean for that to happen. I know I am not the only one who struggles with names. I don’t like that I am bad with names but it is the cold hard truth. If you have any tricks or tips on how to remember names please do share them with me.

I grew up with many nick-names of my own. The first nickname I can remember came from my mom, she always called me Bee. Not sure why I was bee but I was. Over the years I have been given a lot of nicknames. Sassy has been my nickname that stuck since high school days. I guess I can admit I am a bit sassy ha. My best friend and a lot of people call me by my last name Davis. I am a true Davis through and through. Most commonly, people seem to call me tall girl or something based on my height. I kinda stick out in the crowd. I am six foot three but I always dreamed of being seven feet tall. Yes, I embrace being tall. It is who I am. I like to think that people are forced to look up to me and chase after me when I walk. I don’t mean to walk so fast but it’s hard to slow these legs. A lot of my nicknames are my name just spelled funny because let’s face it my parents set me up adding an extra letter to make me “unique”. Don’t get me wrong I love my name and I couldn’t imagine changing my name but it is impossible to find anything with my name unless I custom order it, or maybe if I lived in Europe somewhere?. I know a few of you reading this blog can relate to the unique name dilemma. Not only do I have to custom order my pants, which reminds me a friend of mine calls me long legs sally for this reason, but just once I wanna get the key chain or the pen right off the shelf like the classic named people of the world. My son he can always find his name on these types of items. You’re welcome, son.

Do you have a nickname? How did you get that nickname? I love it when people share nick-names stories with me. Be sure to reach out and share your story. Or if you have a nickname for me also feel free to share. I could always use a good laugh!

Tattoos and memories…

I have collected some tattoos over the course of my lifetime. At this time I have eight tattoos and a few more designs mulling around in my head. It is true tattoos can be addictive. I didn’t stop at one and I always seem to come up with more ideas of what I would like to get next.

Each tattoo reminds me of a person, place, or time in my life. I cherish each one of my tattoos and I love them all. I am thankful that I have no regrets and my tattoos have all turned out great. I don’t have any miss spelled words or art that you can’t quite tell what it is. I would not suggest rushing out to get a tattoo. Take time and plan something out with meaning. Also, they hurt! Find a good artist you trust and don’t think cheaper means it will be of great quality. It’s going to be on you forever, think it through.

My first three tattoos are all of stars. I have always had a love of stars. I have three stars on my back upper, middle, and lower. It kind of became a joke that my life is a three-star rating. I will always have my life as a work in progress because as long as I am alive I am always going to be working on making my life better. Making it the best it can be.

I have a Cadillac side piece tattoo that makes me laugh because it didn’t go quite as I planned not many of my plans do. After owning the big old black caddy for 10 years, I decided to have my dad in the dead of a Canadian winter when it was freezing, go out to the garage to un-tarp the car, and get the exact measurements of the front hood emblem. My plan was to get the exact hood emblem from the caddy tattooed on my side. I absolutely love to watch that hood emblem dance at the end of the hood in a ray of sunshine. I miss that car when I am not driving and it just brings me a feeling of pure happiness. You cannot be sad on the crushed velour seats of the caddy. I wanted to always remember that feeling of pure happiness. I took the exact measurements and pictures to my tattoo guy who drew it up and placed it on my side and it looked like a tiny microscopic dot on my giant side. We both laughed and said blow it up to fit my side. That is how I ended up with my entire right side as a statement piece. You can’t miss the caddy symbol now. BAM!

I have two tattoos inspired by a former friend who helped me more than she will ever know. Our lives have parted and gone down separate paths but I hope she is doing well. When I moved home to Ontario from Vancouver Island I missed the island so very much. All I ever wanted was to find a starfish at the ocean. I would spend hours and hours sitting at the ocean trying to heal my broken heart. Tasting my own salty tears and dreaming of a better life. My starfish and shell tattoo on my left foot is forever a reminder of the days I buried my toes in the sand at the Pacific Ocean. It reminds me of all my wonderful Island family and friends. My friend Kelly had a starfish tattooed on her elbow so it’s not matching tattoo but she did inspire it.

That same friend and I have matching tattoos on our hips. Even though our lives have taken us on many different paths I will always be thankful for the times we shared. We played countless hours of the Nintendo game Dr. Mario. We blasted the tunes, we stacked the pills and we killed the germs. We have matching Dr. Mario tattoos with hidden hearts inside pixel pills. Mine is green because that was her favourite colour and hers is purple because that was my favourite colour. The picture of us after getting those tattoos is my favourite picture of us. I couldn’t have survived all my life’s struggles without you girl. Thank you!

My left arm is where I wear my heart. I have a little corgi outline tattoo that is running towards my heart which I got as a fundraiser for the humane society. Get a dog tattoo to help save animals um yes sign me up. I love my corgi. Last year I decided to get what I described as my dog Charleston done in royal derp. He was a royal dog with a derpy personality. I wanted the portrait to capture his personality with a crown hanging off one of his giant ears. I gave that idea to my tattoo girl. I had an appointment booked when she got injured and had to delay I was so upset but then she came back and was better than ever. I have the ultimate royal derp corgi tattoo. It is the perfect image and captures him beautifully. He, unfortunately, passed away and I swore I could never survive life without him and I thought this tattoo would make me upset when he was gone but I find myself smiling every day being reminded how lucky I was to have shared eight beautiful years with him. Also, the wild story of finding his sister and now everyone just thinks this isn’t the king tattooed on me but the queen. Maybe I need a queen corgi tattoo on my right arm?

What will I tattoo next? Am I done? No, I don’t think I am done. I am a dreamer. I always have the next idea dancing in my head. I would absolutely love a pink flamingo standing on one leg up my leg in bright neon electric pink. If I was a bird I would be the loudest pink flamingo ever!

Where do your thoughts lead you today?

Do you start your day with a good thought or a bad thought? Are your thoughts distracting you?

When I was trapped in negativity every thought I had, from the moment I was awake, was negative. Nothing ever went and well, it’s not a mystery why. Having nothing but negative thoughts isn’t really a great way to start or finish any day. Now I try to start each day off with a good thought. I usually start each day off writing down the first good thought that comes to mind as like a mantra for the day. I find it helps manage the days that don’t go the way I wish they would. Most days I have distracting thoughts, but these can be good as well. When I find myself being distracted by negativity I refer to my good mantra of the day. The first good thought to keep my day going good. This blog is about where my distraction took me today.

Today like many days before I sit down to write the idea in my head, which was nothing to do with horoscopes, stars, or psychics, yet this is what I wrote. Like I said before, sometimes when I sit down to write I have so many ideas I cannot write fast enough and sometimes no ideas come to me, and then I find myself distracted online. Today I started an idea and got stumped so I took a break to check my email and ended checking up my horoscope too. Something I haven’t done in a while. I used to be obsessed with what the stars have in store for me today? I would quickly grab the Saturday paper away from my family and friends and read my horoscope. You know in the days before the internet.

I was recently at a night sky viewing with so many shooting stars. I can’t wait for all my wishes to come true. I recently was having a conversation about what do the stars hold for the future with a friend when I decided to look up my horoscope and this is the blog you get this week. My distracted thoughts.

I have always had a love of stars. I would lay outside for hours on end just staring up at the sky, waiting for a shooting star to make a wish upon. I always believed the stars had powers. I always believed the stars watched out for me and kept me safe at night. I believed that the people who passed away here on earth became stars and watched out for me. If that’s true I have some of the best stars in the sky.

My horoscope sign is Pisces. When you google about Pisces you will find an overwhelming amount of information but I found the personality part interesting as it says: “As the final sign, Pisces has absorbed every lesson — the joys and the pains, the hopes and the fears — learned by all of the other signs. This makes these fish the most psychic, empathetic, and compassionate creatures of the astrological wheel.”

I am always saying look for the lesson. Things happen to teach us a lesson, be it bad or good look for the lesson. Life is a series of lessons if we pay close attention we have a lot to learn.

I always wished I could have been psychic just to know what it feels like. Having the ability to see forward or back in time seems like such an amazing concept. I admit I didn’t think it was a real thing. It seemed too good to be true. How could a complete stranger who just met you know so much? That was until I went to a psychic who was able to talk to my grandmother who had passed and knew such vivid details. The message she told me and the way she described her, blew me away. Few moments have ever made me speechless but this reading did. I kinda chuckle, my grandma was a very strong lady and I knew if anyone was coming through that passed away she would have elbowed her way to the front of the line. That psychic ladies’ reading still makes me think about my life.

I am a water sign and I love to be close to the water I believe the water is my happy place. The water allows me to focus and resets my thinking, clears my mind. If I can see the stars and water then that’s a bonus. I love where I live.

Allow the good thoughts into your life and watch your life change. Surround yourself with good people and life is better. Where will your thoughts take you today?

Water…

I have always lived near the water. I believe water can heal your troubles. Watch the water. With each wave, you take in the good and wash out (let go of) the bad.

There is no better feeling than spending the day by the water. From the river to the lake, and on to the ocean, I love it all so very much. My dad lives on a river, I live near the lake and the Ocean is my go-to destination, my happy place. I hope to stick my feet in all the oceans before my time here is over. The river runs by fast most of the year and then almost comes to a stop to enjoy summer. The river has little fish and turtles which are a delight to watch. The lake has the best sounding waves and is great for swimming. The geese are always down at the lake enjoying and making loud honking noises. The ocean teaches us a lot about tides and safety. The Ocean is forever changing. The vast beauty of being able to look out and not see the land is captivating. To catch a glimpse of a whale is beyond words. Collecting starfish and sand dollars on the beach of the Pacific Ocean brings back such fond memories that I share with my family.

I do not think there is a better feeling than the warm, bright sunshine on your skin. I love it when it’s windy and the wind almost blows you around. You have that amazing wild, wind-blown hair and the waves become alive. I could listen to the soothing sounds of the waves crashing all day long. Watching white caps come towards the shore is hypnotic. I love listening to the sounds of the rocks and sand being waved around. I love when wild weather forces the shore into revealing a whole new level underneath.

With every changing day, the lake I live near is never the same. It is one of the most beautiful places to watch the sunrise. I feel like it reminds me that every day is a new opportunity for everyone to bring change upon themselves and the world.
Some days we have bad days and it’s like a giant wave is sucking us under. That moment we lose control and you have to figure out how to get to the surface. You have to figure out how to get back to the surface and which way to swim to safety. Sometimes in life, we all feel like this. We all have moments that wave us, knock us down, and make us question life. But for every moment like that, I look at the lake and its calm. It looks like its glass. It’s not moving it reminds me each day is a new beginning and we can be in control.

When I was seventeen years old I wrote a poem while sitting near the water. I was at the start of a very dark place. I was obsessed with slam poetry especially if it was dark and left me wanting more. From seventeen to eighteen I was processing a lot of feelings and wrote some dark things but this is one I always enjoyed.

Let the water wash over me.
Let the water take over me.
Let the water become me.
Let the water wash away my fears.
Let the water wash away my tears.
Let the water wash away all my imperfections.
Let me come out of the water clean.
Let me come out of the water a new me.

I feel like every time I sit by the water no matter the trouble I am facing it has the power to heal my heart. The water lets me come back to a new me. It helps through all of my senses to reset my feelings. It gets me back on track. I can see a change in how water is every day. I can taste the sweetness in the air. I can feel the rocks, sand, and cool water. I can smell the freshness. I can hear the powers of the water healing.

Being near the water is my happy place! Get out and enjoy the water.