Mermaid and a Surfer

One cool, Autumn day on the south coast, where the tea tree blossoms and sea sparkles, a man with eyes the colour of the ocean walked along the beach. He stumbled across a mermaid in a cove of sand near a cave.
 
He gazed at her and told her she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. A deep love blossomed and the man visited her every evening as the sun went down. They would sit and tell each other stories of their lives, where they had been, and what life had in store. Stories of things they wanted to do and what was important to them. Their connection deepened and the love they felt was like nothing they’d experienced before.
 
One day, the man told her she was too special to be swimming on the foreshore talking to him. She must have a greater purpose in life. He didn’t want to hold her back, so decided to no longer walk at sunset to meet her.
 
At first, she was hurt, but soon the ocean started to call her, and she knew she had to go. She needed to leave the foreshore and dive deeper. She soon realised that she helped bring magic to the sea – she would draw up the energy with her golden tail of feathers and scales and encourage sea creatures to swim with her. Together, they had a magnetic pull to all those who enjoyed the water.
 
In this piece, turtles represent balance and gratitude. Birds represent pure joy and freedom. Butterflies represent great transformation and strength. And flying fish represent deep emotional connection. They swim together to create the sparkle on the surface and an energetic current underneath the waves.
 
The mermaid thought if she could bring beauty to the sea, the blue-eyed man might visit her once again on his surfboard. She hoped that one day he might swim with her and see for himself what she had created.
 
The sea has the most amazing magic, and its magnetic pull is felt by those who are connected to it.
 
Surfers are connected. They can’t live without being in or near the ocean. They feel it calling out to them. They roll with the patterns of the waves and succumb to an energy that is greater than they are, to become one with it.
 
I see this in my son every day – he has such a strong connection to the ocean’s energy. It’s truly incredible to see, and I feel grateful that he has found his sparkling ocean.
 
This painting reminds us of the bigger purpose to our lives. We’ll find it when we are brave enough to dive deeper than we have before. Sometimes we need to make decisions that are difficult. We are strong enough to deal with them. There is power in our purpose – once we find it, it will bring balance, love and life. The next time you sit by the sea and see it sparkling, you will now know why.