By Susan Goldberg Schwartz

I have always been drawn to the beach – from my earliest memories as a child visiting family in Thunder Bay, to experiencing the Mediterranean waves with my young children in Akko and walking the dunes of Cape Cod or the wide stretch of sand on Longboat Key.  The constant sound of the waves is calming. The graceful flight of the pelicans and gulls fills me with awe, and finding a perfect shell is always a delight!

I never thought that I would become a ‘snowbird’, but I am so grateful for the time that I have escaping Buffalo winters. I have less responsibilities and more time to just ‘be’.  My daily walks on the beach, the scent of the salt in the air and the warmth of the sun on my face, are not only good for my physical health but also enhance my spiritual practice of Mussar. My Florida time goes at a different PACE.

I especially love watching pelicans.  They are patient and keep their eyes open as they search for their next meal.  They circle and wait until they see what they are looking for, and if they don’t get it the first time, they return and try again.  From a Mussar perspective, the essence of Patience/savlanut is to live in the present.

Alan Morinis, founder of The Mussar Institute and my beloved teacher, described the trait of Awareness/zehirut as a cornerstone of Mussar practice.  By being aware of the natural world around me, I am more mindful of my actions.  Like the seabirds, I keep my eyes open and am freer to make better choices.

Mussar emphasizes the importance of being curious about oneself, one’s actions, and the world around us. As I walk along the shore, discovering so many types of shells and tiny sea creatures, my Curiosity is peaked. I wonder what I will find along my walk and am in awe of the shapes, colors and sizes of living things.

When asked what my ‘happy place’ is, I return again and again to the beach.  It is where I truly find Equanimity/menuchat ha’nefesh – literally- a calmness of the soul. The steady rush of the waves, rish-roosh shel hamayim, is the background for my meditation.

My winter months in Florida have come to an end. At the same time, we conclude the reading of the book of Exodus where it is customary to recite– Hazak, hazak v’nithazek – be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened.  I hope that the time I’ve spent on the beach has strengthened me to bring my Florida PACE back home. To live in the present, to keep my eyes open, to ask and wonder, and find peace and calm.

May we all live with Patience, Awareness, Curiosity and Equanimity!

Susan Goldberg Schwartz is a Jewish educator and Mussar facilitator who recently was the Hazzanit for High Holy Day services at Beth Isaiah Synagogue in Guelph, Ontario.