Abundance at Haystack Rock (Cannon Beach, Oregon)
There is something magical about Haystack Rock, but what fascinated me most was how completely it transformed with the tide. Experiencing that transformation with my kids made it even more special.
During high tide, it is an iconic part of the Cannon Beach landscape, towering above the waves. Home to thousands of birds, it stands magnificently as the surf crashes on its surface.
At low tide, it reveals the mysteries beneath. As the ocean recedes, hundreds of thousands of sea creatures emerge into view. Orange and purple starfish, giant green anemones, purple sea urchins, hermit crabs, chitons, mussels, and barnacles all cling to the rock, creating an extraordinary ecosystem that remains largely unseen for most of the day.
The abundance of nature is striking. What is even more awe-inspiring is that most of it is hidden by the water for the greater part of the day. There is abundance that exists whether we can see it or not.
It made me think of our own lives. There is so much in our physical realities that escapes our awareness. And if that is true, how much more might exist beyond the physical that we simply can not perceive?
Sometimes abundance is right in front of us, and we still miss it. At Haystack Rock, nothing new appearred when the tide went out. It was all there before. We simply couldn’t see it. Sometimes we have to pull back the tide in ourselves, or in our lives, in order to recognize the truth of what is already there.
You don’t need to go to Haystack Rock to witness abundance. Look at the millions of blades of grass beneath your feet or the countless leaves on a single tree. There is so much here that we barely notice. That’s what really has stayed with me from that morning. At high tide, I could have looked at Haystack Rock and had no idea what was living beneath the water. None of it suddenly came into existance when the tide went out. It had been there all along.
It made me wonder how often we experience lack simply because we cannot see everything that is already here.
My family and I spent the morning marveling at these delightful creatures, quietly sending them our love and gratitude. It was a magical way to begin the day.
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