Friend Bids Farewell To White Rock

MY WALKING buddy, friend and neighbour is returning to Newfoundland after living in and around the White Rock area for many years.

I thought it would be nice for us to take a stroll along the pier before she travels back to the eastern province.

We were surprised to find the pier was closed that day for upgrades.

While the crew assigned to the task were hard at work others were relaxing and enjoying the rain-free day.

We wondered how one mom managed to wheel her child's stroller onto the spongy beach floor.

Luckily there is always something to explore near the shore. The tulips carefully planted by city gardeners were ablaze with color.

A familiar statue called Metamorphosis by Joan Miriam Adams made us ponder. The 1989 work shows a woman transforming into a bird. Chiseled from an 8-foot block of granite it needed a second and third look to fully appreciate.

It seems that physically morphing into a bird can be as tricky as it is to grow wings from a symbolic point of view. The lovely bend of her head gave my neck a twitch the way it tends to do whenever I see it.

The clock overlooking the pier seemed to say that the time to share outings with my friend was running out but fond memories would remain.

As she gazed into the distance I wondered if her mind was already on the Atlantic coast, thousands of miles from the Pacific coast, on the eastern shore.

Born in Newfoundland her journey is winding back near to where she started much like in the labyrinth I wrote about in an earlier post ... no doubt wiser now and with a wealth of experience to draw upon from the sea to sea.

The statue of a transforming woman, my friend returning to the land of her birth and the circular patterns of the labyrinth and clock all brought to mind words by Nelson Mandela, "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Why Is Skipping Down The Lane Just For Kids

WHAT IS WRONG with grownups skipping down the road the way these cute kids did at Crescent Beach recently? When did it stop being okay?

I am allowed to jog, run and walk briskly but if I started to leap ahead bouncing on one foot and then the other I would likely get some strange reactions.

When my daughter was small I had the freedom to skip because I could pretend it was she and not me who wanted to travel this way down the road. Now she is all grown up I need to borrow a kid in order to skip. Otherwise, people would think I have lost my mind.

Although the stretching and hopping motions are natural and helpful to the development of growing children, I am tempted to try it as an adult ... perhaps when no one is looking. Life feels lighter when the body is buoyant and when skipping with complete abandon it is impossible not to smile.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

The Labyrinth At Kwomais Point Park

THE WINDING CIRCULAR pathway I recently followed at Kwomais Point Park provides a process for reflection and is a compelling metaphor for life. Meandering through the twists and turns one can become lost amid the uncertainties of its direction.

There are no dead ends on this snaking trail and the head does meet the tail eventually. Ironically, this can make going forward seem more like a step backward.

The symbolism of a labyrinth is open to interpretation. In ancient times the confusing intricacies of interconnected tunnels and passageways were built to baffle mythological monsters and neighboring enemies that were all too real.

A labyrinth today is often a meditative tool that puts challenges into perspective and shows that personal progress is not linear. Even though we finish our journey near where we started, we hopefully gain deep insights and are wiser for all our adventures and experiences along life's way.

There is an ancient saying on the stone overlooking a smaller stone that says, "As above so below ... as within so without." The words suggest that we have a mysterious connection to all of existence that is far more profound than what our mortal minds have imagined.

The labyrinth at Kwomais Point is due to a collaboration between the Labyrinths of Hope Society and other groups. It was named Eagle's Nest because of the bounty of eagles that make the forested area their home. Not the first such structure at the park, it is a promise kept by the City of Surrey.

The original labyrinth made of simple stones was not encircled by a forest but was perched on a bluff overlooking the sea. It was removed during upgrades to the park but its essence remains at the core of the current creation.

To view more sights from around the globe visit Our World.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms