Quite a number of years ago, I was at the beach and very pregnant with my last child. At one point in our vacation, Steve coaxed me out into the water with him, beyond the crashing water to the magic spot where the water undulates in pre-birth swells. Out in the calmness of the salty sea, I gently bobbed up and down while the temperature of the water and my body created the perfect balance of being cool enough to be refreshing without the initial shock of cold. We were far enough from land that the laughing noises of the crowded beach and violent crashing of the waves were muffled. I felt the sun shining warmly from above and heard the lonely screech of a gull flying over and at that moment I thought to myself, "I need to always remember this EXACT feeling." I made a conscience decision at that instant to memorize every thing about this magical moment: how my legs felt encased in the cold water yet warmed by my inner body temperature, the swirling action of the water rendering me weightless, the sun on my face, the quietness surrounding me, the smell of salt and fresh air and the touch of my lover's hand holding on to me protectively. A few weeks later, I called up this very memory as I prepared myself mentally to deliver my last child. Once again I was back at that "magical spot" in the ocean, with my worries and fears left on the beach. There have been many moments since that I have brought this memory to the forefront of my thoughts, as a means to calm or fortify myself for difficult things or to just simply cope with life. It works beautifully--no, MAGICALLY!
