Solitude Replenishes Your Soul
Photo by Luronda H. on Unsplash
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”
Thomas Merton
As we prepare to go on to the beach on vacation, I am reminded of one of my favorite books, Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The prolific author was the wife of the famed pilot, Charles Lindbergh, who made the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York City to Paris in his plane Spirit of St. Louis.
Most people have heard of Charles and his achievements, but Anne’s own remarkable story is not as well known. A pilot herself, she was the first woman to receive a U.S. glider pilot license. She served as a radio operator and copilot on multiple exploratory flights and aerial surveys with Charles. Later, she went on to pen more than a dozen books.
Gift from the Sea was first published in 1955. My copy of it, which I treasure, was given to me in 1987 by a dear friend, who inscribed it. I also still have the audiobook on—wait for it—cassette tape! Beautifully read by actress Claudette Colbert, it is still available on Audible here.
I often think of that “small book of great and simple wisdom,” as it has been described, when I’m anticipating walking on the warm sand and dipping my toes into the ocean again. Anne’s musings—the genesis for her book—started as journal entries she made while on vacation with her sister at Captiva Island on Florida’s southwest coast. Reflecting on the calming, healing power of the sea, Anne uses various types of shells (or discarded homes, as she sees them) as metaphors for life lessons about simplicity, solitude, and balance.
Her observations, written in her lyrical style, not only resonated with her readers at the time her book was released, but continue to do so to this day. It has sold over three million copies and been translated into 45 languages.
Even though her book has touched people worldwide, in her preface she mentions that early on she believed her philosophical musings “would have value and interest” only for herself.
“But,” she says, “as I went on writing and simultaneously talking with other women, young and old, with different lives and experiences—those who supported themselves, those who wished careers, those who were hard-working housewives and mothers, and those with more ease—I found that my point of view was not unique…I discovered that many women, and men, too, were grappling with essentially the same questions as I... Even those whose lives had appeared to be ticking imperturbably under their smiling clock-faces were often trying, like me, to evolve another rhythm with more creative pauses in it, more adjustment to their individual needs, and new and more alive relationships to themselves as well as others.”
Her words, with their universal appeal, continue to be relevant despite the passage of time. My friend and writing mentor Earl Hamner called evergreen concepts such as the ones she writes about “touchstones.” According to Merriam-Webster, the word suggests “a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.”
Anne, who traveled extensively with her husband and five children, occasionally took a solitary beach vacation, sometimes including her sister for part of the time, to escape from the hubbub of raising a large family. An introvert who studied literature at Smith College in Massachusetts, she realized the value of quiet time for reflection as she searched for inner peace in her demanding life as the wife of a public figure.
I am rereading her book today to center myself before traveling. My husband and I will be renting a beach house near my sister and brother-in-law in South Carolina. Our daughter and her family are joining us. With young grandchildren, our schedule will involve ping pong, biking, and going on pony and trolly rides. Add in some fun, action-packed side trips to the harbor, a children’s museum, and a playground with a pirate ship—whew!
Still, I am inspired after my reading to try to fit in a few moments of solitude, with some afternoon walks on the beach to ponder the ebb and flow of life.
No matter where this week finds you, I hope you will take some time to yourself for “a creative pause” as Anne calls it, to replenish your soul. If you have not yet experienced Gift from the Sea, treat yourself! Just reading or listening to it is calming and may provide a brief respite from your busy life.
Affectionately,
Elaine