Hi, today’s letter is brought to you by Ilaria Giuliani, reporting from Koh Phayam, a small island off the southern coast of Thailand. Ilaria tells us of an extraordinary natural phenomenon she witnessed on the island’s shore and the reflection which stemmed from experiencing such exceptional sighting.
Lastly, a gentle reminder to get in touch if you wish to share what inspired you to take a break and how you pressed pause with our community. Sharing is caring 💗
Shirin x
[courtesy of the author]
On the sandy tropical beaches of the Pacific and Indian oceans lives the Sand Bubbler Crab. This tiny crab comes out if its burrow at low tide and nourishes itself by filtering the minerals found in the sand. Through this feeding process, the crab discards small globules - or bubbles - of sand on the shore. The final result of one crab’s meal is a special kind of sand art. Another peculiar trait of these sand patterns is that they are often similar to each other, but never lack in originality.
As human beings, we have the opportunity to witness the intricate patterns generated by the bubbles; we are afforded the privilege of the big picture. By surveying the leitmotifs in the crab’s sand art, we wonder if maybe there’s a special meaning to it, like a secret language. However, the crabs seem to be completely unaware of the art they create, simply because they do not have access to the bigger picture.
I would like to think that while these odd times force us to withdraw from the world, we keep unconsciously producing beauty while nourishing our bodies and souls. The ability to access the big picture does not interfere with our urge to feed ourselves. Traditionally, social structures, such as our daily routines, determine our needs on our behalf in a self-centred manner, but what we need now is to turn inwards, listen with an open heart and quit perceiving ourselves as isolated, insignificant single units. The many individual journeys will converge into a collective effort, something beautiful. Only then will we finally recognise it as the big picture.
[source: shutterstock]
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