8 State Hurricane Kate

Last weekend I attended a seminar on partnering with non-profits and corporations in the San Francisco area. I had one afternoon free and chose to go to the ocean. It was hot that afternoon and the beach was crowded. The surf was rough and the tide was rising. As I walked the beach, I saw many broken sand dollar shards. I figured that sand dollars don’t often make it to shore there intact, due to the ragged shoreline and the rough surf. Still, I thought it would be nice to find one whole sand dollar, and imagined myself holding one in my hand.

As I continued to walk, I got busy watching the kids and dogs play in the sand and water. Missing my dogs back at home, I was especially happy to see the dogs at play. I walked along, mesmerized by the waves and enjoying the day, and suddenly came upon one whole sand dollar, right there in front of me on the busy beach. I couldn’t believe it! It was dark, not bleached out by the sun yet. I picked it up and held it in my hand, just as I had imagined.

Those of you who’ve read “8 State Hurricane Kate” know that the sand dollar represents a message of hope, encouragement and faith to me, perhaps even a message from Kate herself. When I returned to my hotel, I gave the sand dollar to my new friend Marika from Toronto. Marika is launching a program to help people with a new cancer diagnosis deal effectively with their emotions. What can you imagine holding in your hand? Where is the sand dollar that you need to discover?

Jenny and Marika