Gift from the Sea

“Gift from the Sea” is a short book that was given to me to read by my great aunt.

There are two main points that spoke to me.

One is the focusing on the center: focusing on here instead of there; focusing on the present instead of the past or future; focusing on one’s self instead of the masses; and again on one’s relationships instead of the mass (society).

Two is the idea of ebb and flow; that all life, relationships, love, interests, hobbies, or whatever ebb and flow. This parallel’s a statement made by Rabbi Zvi Katzman, that the shape of the human heartbeat on an EKG shows that life has its ups and downs. Lindbergh uses the example of the incoming and outgoing tide, of water’s rise and fall.

Another thought that came from the book, and only applies if you have enough space for this luxury, is the idea of a room that is empty. A room without any distractions meant for sitting a reflecting that would need to be big enough to allow a person not to feel cramped. I think it would be interesting. Or perhaps the ability to do the same on a back porch looking into trees or across a field.

Anyways, the book is a short read and interesting. It is far more geared towards women than men, particularly women with children.