Starry Ocean Night

“If I frequently use the analogy of the underwater area of our minds, it may be because the ocean is so strong a part of my childhood memories, and of my own personal mythology. If I am away from the ocean for long, I get a visceral longing for it. It was at the ocean that I first went outdoors at night and saw the stars. I must have been very little, but I will never forget being held in someone’s arms – Mother’s, Father’s, Dearma’s, someone I loved and trusted enough so that all I remember is being held, and seeing the glory of the night sky over the ocean.”

Excerpt from The Summer of the Great-grandmother (1974, Farrar, Straus and Giroux), Chapter 8, by Madeleine L’Engle

One response to “Starry Ocean Night”

  1. This excerpt reminds me why I crave to visit the ocean, feel the personal voice and embrace the smell of water.

    It also reminds me of feeling lost in the midwest; the fading embrace from childhood.

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