If only we could always influence the course of things at every moment of our day... how good would that be... Wait, actually... we can influence that to some extent, right? I mean, even if things don't go according to plan, we can still reach for plan B. If we have one. And if not, then we improvise on the spot and still make the best of the situation.
And that is what we did; we shifted our focus from work to leisure time when two of my lessons were cancelled two weeks ago. Two sisters, both my students, were sick, and their dad messaged me about it when I was already in the place where they live, that is, in the same place where I used to live before we moved.
I could have been upset or at least annoyed about these last-minute cancelled lessons; we drove for an hour to come here just to find out part of my earnings for that day disappeared. Instead, I felt kind of relieved as a thought was already there in my mind: that time will be spent by the seashore, taking a walk.
This is a path we had walked so many times during the 12 and a half years we lived there by the sea. Now that this promenade is no longer a few minutes from our home, I appreciate it much more. I know it is nothing out of this world, just a normal path that connects two little towns; however, having the opportunity to spend my afternoon here walking instead of teaching piano made that time extraordinary. Well, at least spent in an unexpected way.
We made a little stop in the marina. Once again, a very well-known place for us to walk among the docks and moored boats. I remember the times when my son was still little; he would bring a toy fishing rod with the hope of catching a fish. Some other days, he would try to catch small crabs that occasionally came out from between the rocks and sunbathed. He was also riding his BMX bike here and learning to ride a skateboard. That stayed just on the "learning" part with a few bruises and scars.
Look what the sky did to adjust the scene to the memories. 😍
The sunset was preparing for its own colourful show, as if telling me that everything is fleeting: our youth, our years, and our lives... okay, okay, let's not go too far in that direction 😂, I am still here hahaha, but the sun had to set that day. What beautiful colours it brought to the sky!
After this pleasant sight, we left the harbour behind us and continued our walk a little further. Next to a sand volleyball court, I saw rocks on the ground, which someone had obviously placed there. It was an inscription.
Right now it could be seen as a bit belated wish: Happy 2026 <3. The cool thing is that noone felt the urge to destroy this message.
And it was not the only "message" the rocks had for us that day.
Maybe this pebble tower reminds us that we can find balance in the things that surround us and that every bad situation can be transformed into something good, at least when it comes to everyday things like cancelled lessons...
Making good use of our time before the sunset announces the end of each day - probably a lesson we have to learn day by day.
