A giant reset button
Jeff enjoys two giant reset buttons at one time. Dam Neck, Virginia, June 2014
“I couldn’t imagine living in a state that didn’t reach the ocean. It was a giant reset button. You could go to the edge of the land and see infinity and feel renewed.”
― Avery Sawyer
One year ago today I was sitting in a hospital waiting for Grady to be born. He didn’t arrive until late that night, and while I was waiting, I wrote the post that would appear the next day. The post discussed the lovely thought that when babies are born, new parents are born too.
It’s a renewal that doesn’t end with the parents or the day of birth. As with so many aspects of nature, from oceans to animals, children carry with them immense powers to renew the worn-out hearts of their elders. When we look at a baby we see infinite possibilities, a big question mark with an underlying premise of optimism. This was true for me even when Matt was born with a worrisome heart condition and other problems. Babies are never defined by the immediate, although they inhabit it more decisively than we do.
If you are feeling in a rut, or at a dead end, find your own reset button. They are everywhere. It doesn’t have to be an ocean or a baby, although I highly recommend the effectiveness of both as a remedy for the doldrums. I think it can be any aspect of nature that hints of infinity, or any pastime that brings beauty, joy and wonder into your life.
Looking at the photo above, I realize the promise of renewal that arrived one year ago today is still with us, “new every morning,” and I give thanks with a grateful heart.
One year ago tomorrow:
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: adjustment, babies, coping, faith, hope, new beginnings, oceans, perspective, promise, renewal, the future, the sea
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia! The view from a mountain top or airplane work for me, too. There’s something about gardening that also speaks to possibilities.
It’s perspective.
Yes, I think anything that shows us the world from a slightly different angle can be quite calming. It takes us out of the “crisis mode” or “boredom mode” or “stress mode” than can take over so easily. I suppose it’s a form of distraction, but a healthy and happy one.