Contentment

"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can only collect a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few"

- Anne Morrow Lindberg

A couple of friends and me visited a house of an elderly couple in a lovely island and these shells caught my attention. As a confessed beach babe, i have always relished to walk in the beach during early mornings after watching the sunrise and finding out if there are few shells that could take my fancy. Of course there are a lot of beautiful shells but taking them all would not be practical nor fun. When my first nephew was only three years old, i would take him to the beach on few mornings especially when i am about to leave them again. He would pick up anything that he fancies and with glee would give it to me like a surprise present with his eyes twinkling with joy. I never wanted to upset him so i have to take every shell that he handed me, and one time i have to pay for excess baggage because i could not bear leaving them behind considering the efforts and thoughtfulness displayed by the child in picking up those shells for me.

Even if i am alone in the beach(any beach for that matter) i still enjoy this " ritual" of walking and trying to find any shell that could delight me especially on my last day prior to going back to the city and i found it refreshing just like taking a dip on a warm summer. Back to the house that i visited where i took the pictures, i asked the couple where did they got them- and with a glimmer in his eyes the old man thoughfully said he picked it up for his wife when they were still sweethearts. So along the pictures comes that wonderful story from the beautiful couple who decided to grow old together and it thrills me to remember their shy smiles when i coaxed them to pose for a photo like they were still seventeen and so much in love with each other- well, in their advanced age they looked as if they are still very much in love! In this day and age where "going out" in a committment or relationship has become easy and acceptable, theirs is rarely special. And the shells that i have not really noticed to be beautiful while in the beach look special while they were placed in the pathway leading to their home.

On our way home, the thought of the shells made me smile continuously and i remembered the lovely quote on contentment. Yes, i can only collect a few shells on the beach, and they are more beautiful if they are few.