The first is this: it is good to be alive, and it is good and right to celebrate this truth. As we walked along the broadwalk in the cool of the Friday dawn, the sky was beginning to glow. Around us, the birds twittered. Out in the sea the sailing boats bobbed quietly to the rhythm of the waves. As I surveyed this scene, the amazing reality of being alive seized me. Unlike most mornings when I awake and the reality of another working day hits me, I now experienced the sheer joy of rising with and in the dawn. At that moment, I savoured the indescribable wonder of being alive, again! Perhaps, this is the wisdom Lauds, the morning prayer of the Church, invites Catholics to celebrate each dawn.

As I walked along, the brightening sky began to magically repaint the scene before me. Across the water and in the distance stood the apartment blocks of Sengkang and Punggol. In the dawn light, they stood quietly, row after row dotted with twinkling white and yellow electrical lights. But as the sun arose, these were transformed. Their sterile, shadowy lines came alive. Reflecting the morning sun, these were now orange-hued columns dancing gleefully with their reflections in the blue water. That which was ordinary became unexplainably enchanting. At that moment, the truth of beauty in the ordinary and routine confronted me. And I acknowledged the second lesson learnt: my Catholic-Christian faith invites me to always look for new perspectives to the ordinary and routine each day.

We traversed the beach from Fairy Point to Changi Village individually and silently. Now and then, pausing along the way, I found myself relishing more the unexpected and forgotten than I did the familiar Changi scenes of my boyhood. The rustle of the verdant canopy in the soft morning breeze and the tiny crabs scurrying from hole to hole in the sand enlivened me. These are often the unseen and unheard in the familiar. They spoke to me of the unfolding mystery of Creation. Sadly, I often miss these as an adult. But this experience taught me that if we but pause, be still and open ourselves up to Creation, we will be filled with wonder, awe and enchantment. When I did this, I was overwhelmed with an immense gratitude for a God who waits to surprise and delight us each morning with only the best. The final lesson the walk gifted me with is this: humankind needs to be silent and still every now and then to truly enjoy God’s Creation more.

Dear friend, isn’t it worth taking a walk along the beach some day soon?




photo: changi sunrise 7 by rtoann