Metamorphosis

Labor Day

Last week, I mentioned that Labor Day weekend was coming up. For the most part, a holiday which was set aside to honor the efforts and achievements of the American work force has morphed into another reason to celebrate with a three day weekend, BBQs and getting the kids ready to go back to school. Not that I'm arguing with any of those points, mind you. But its arrival also opens the door to the holiday season, and the merchandise is already making its way to the shelves. Let's face it, we've passed the point of no return.

Once upon a time, traditions associated with this weekend also suggested that we were supposed to put away our white shoes until the spring, but really now- In southern California, it's too hard to even tell what season it is on any given day, especially lately. For that matter, I don't believe I've even owned a pair of white shoes since I got married quite a few years ago! That's what happens when we've been around for awhile. Nothing is ever the same as it used to be.

Recently, our beaches felt the effects of Hurricane Marie. Roaring up from the south, it brought no rain here, but pounded the coast with large waves, delivering an early holiday gift to experienced surfers and misfortune to those whose physical limits were no match. For those of us who chose to wait it out before venturing back to the shore, we were met with a rearranged beach, piles of cobbles that had been churned up littered the high tide line and as the ocean surged, rocks continued to tumble back and forth. As each wave receded, it could potentially expose an array of shells and some of my favorite glittery treasures, sea glass. 

If there is ever a positive effect of littering by human hands, let it be captured in these little fragments of colorful glass, tumbled into soft shapes that hardly hint at their once razor sharp edges. A tiny bit is like a metamorphosis this way, a souvenir from a trip to the beach that parallels changes that we'll meet as we hang around this planet for awhile. What was here yesterday isn't necessarily going to be here today and if it is, we might not always recognize it in its current form.

And so it goes. And it will continue to go. I'm going over to Illustration Friday now, and am hoping I can post this before next week's topic changes!