On the Mystique

 I am home now from a wonderful week in Hilton Head and just want to mention one of the highlights of my time there.  It was spending time on the "Mystique."

That is the name of the 42 foot teak and mahogany  yacht that Kim and I were able cruise   this week on the Calibogue Sound at Hilton Head.  What a wonderful way to end the day.

On two evenings we boarded this boat and joined about 8 other people doing some of my favorite activities: being on the water, drinking wine and looking for dolphins. It was relaxing and beautiful.
And until I read about it - I didn't know it was a "Yacht" - I thought it was a boat because it was dwarfed by so many large YACHTS in the harbor.

One of my observations about being at Hilton Head is that there were people with MONEY there.
But I also noticed that what was most appealing to me - and clearly to many people - were the things that money cannot buy.

• It was viewing a sunset at the end of the day.  Many people sat expectantly in red rocking chairs or sitting on the dock just waiting for the view that came every night of the bright sun setting again.  It was always stunning.  Here is one of my pictures.
  

• It was bicycling or walking on the beach.  Kim and I walked a couple of miles one morning and I found myself praying as I walked and just happy to be moving my body and experiencing the sun and the sand and the water.  There is nothing like it.

• But most memorable of all for me was looking for and seeing the dolphins.  We were mostly strangers to each other on the Mystique, but we were all united in looking for the dolphins and pointing them out to one another.  Seeing what looked like mother and baby playing and glimpses of the arc of the fins was more thrilling than you can imagine.  It seemed to me that some people were more aware of them and could spot them more readily but always shared so that we could all see.

And as I reflected on that experience, I really felt that it reminds me of spiritual direction.  That we get glimpses of God and need to share them with each other.  Because like the dolphins in the sound - God is always there - we just need to take time to look.  And it is really helpful to have companions on the way.

So a wonderful week is over and I feel blessed by my time there .