The Sea

I bought a sailboat three summers ago. This summer, I finally figured out how to actually use it. I learned how to move it, launch it, retrieve it, dock it, motor it, and generally keep it from becoming an expensive lawn ornament.

After years of watching the water from shore, I found myself at a crossroads and searching for what came next. That search led me to a little sailboat named Contemplation — and the chance to finally pursue a dream I had carried for years.

A tangled tiller line brought my first real lesson aboard Contemplation, my Com-Pac Sun Cat. Learning to sail is not just about the wind and the water — it is about mistakes, confidence, and finding the courage to try again.

A familiar bike ride along Gordon's Pond Trail becomes a reflection on time, memory, and change. A week before my son's college graduation, I return to one of my favorite places on the Delaware coast, where marshes, dunes, and ocean views have accompanied many seasons of life. Some things change with the years, while others remain waiting around the next bend in the road.

A first solo sail turns into chaos, laughter, and an unexpected lesson: gardening and sailing reward the same things — patience, curiosity, and persistence.

A quiet morning at Crystal Cove Beach exploring tide pools, coastal wildflowers, and the unexpected moments that appear where land meets sea. A reflection on beauty, time, and the memories that stay with us.