It always amuses me when as a culture we take pause for a moment to focus on something or someone that has been instrumental to our existence or way of life. Mother’s Day comes to mind, as does Memorial Day. Where would we be without mothers, or those who gave their lives for our national values?
I’m of a mind that we should always honor those who have sacrificed for others; that when we are around a mother we should pitch in a little extra to make their lives easier, and that we should live our own lives in consideration of the fact that there were those who gave up theirs to make it possible.
This is not to suggest that we don’t occasionally bring breakfast in bed to our mom, or take some time to weep for the ones we’ve lost. But these people have been woven into the fabric of our lives and honoring them always only enriches our own experience of who and where we are.
Hokuyo Bow © Truk Lagoon Dive Center
For me this is particularly the case with the ocean. It is a nice gesture to elevate the ocean to national attention once and a while. But remembering that three out of every five breaths of air I draw come from the sea, or learning about the complex relationships and morphologies that have evolved in the ocean over the eons, and knowing that seawater is the amniotic fluid for all life on earth is humbling.
Living our lives in consideration of these facts can only make our lives richer. Happy Ocean Day!
