A few seconds later after I had taken this photo she turned around and smiled at me. She had never been to this beach and I guess she wasn’t expecting how powerful the surge of the incoming waves could be. As the water moved forward behind her she lost her balance and fell. I immediately was worried she’d be hurt or go under. When she got back up to where I was standing she was soaking wet. “Did you get a photo of that?” She asked. The last thing I wanted to do at that moment was take a photo. She actually seemed disappointed that I hadn’t. And that stuck with me.

Beyond the obvious, what were the waves? What was the surge that in its beauty threatened to drown her? How long could she hold her breath? How much time had she spent below the sea? Only this time – this time she didn’t go under. She got back up. Not only did she get back up, she shrugged off being sandy and wet. “What can you do but laugh?” She asked me.

What can you do indeed?