“Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection.”
― Brené Brown
Looking out over the windswept Oregon coastline, ominous clouds gather overhead as a curtain of rain softens the horizon. A lone rock offers tenuous shelter to the seabirds and seals that live along this stretch of the Pacific ocean. Misty light filters down through the darkening, roiling sky, lending a soft glow to the moody seascape.
As the storm moves ashore, I capture a few frames and think about how it is difficult not to feel small in a world of such overwhelming beauty.
Now that I live in the middle of Canada, far from any ocean, visiting the rugged coast of the northwest feels like returning to my one true home. The constant motion of the water, the wind that can flow softly across beaches or howl along the edges of steep cliffs, the salt and scent of another world just beyond the breaking waves – all of these elements bring me to a sense of clarity and calm that I have not experienced anywhere else.
On this particular visit I had been thinking a lot about my vulnerability and the relationships that have uplifted me over the years. I had also been processing the loss of connections I’d thought I understood and could rely on. In a world that encompasses a vast range of experiences and personal realities, I am coming to understand just how much I value the ability to be vulnerable, present and engaged with similarly self-reflective and imperfect people.
Standing at the edge of a mossy cliff-top forest with my camera and gaze facing into the oncoming storm, I felt grateful for these moments. Whether it is a landscape rich with atmosphere or a relationship rich with humanity and vulnerability, I find these encounters to be a way to appreciate what it means to live a life full of courage and clarity.
The dark and heavy rain and powerful winds will eventually give way, and having been exposed and open to those elements makes it that much sweeter to embrace the calm beauty that is sure to follow.
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