A few days ago, I went to Doheny State Beach, where this is what I saw.

What you’re looking at is the lowest tide I have EVER seen at this or any beach! I went to take pictures of the waves crashing on the shoreline (for a video I was making) and couldn’t even take them or shoot the video because the tide was so low.

It seriously made me wonder if a tsunami was brewing, cuz, you’ll remember the tide goes out before the tsunami crashes. But no tsunami, thankfully.

Still I was left to wonder, why such low tide? Exceedingly low tide!

Going back to 6th grade Earth Science class you’ll recall that tides are caused by the moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth. These pulls cause bulges on Earth’s oceans. One bulge facing the moon and the other on the opposite side of Earth, away from the moon.

Every day (actually 24 hours and 50 minutes), there 2 high tides and 2 low tides.

When I returned home from my low tide experience, I read an article that declared The Thames River as being “liquid history”, because at low tide “the Thames becomes the largest open air archaeological site in London.”

At low tide, the Thames River reveals all sorts of things. Coins, keys, clay pipes, love tokens and thimbles to name a few.

In Oregon, low tide reveals “Ghost Forest” – the ancient remains of a forest that is now small stumps. Low tides in Oregon also reveal Sujameco shipwreck, wreckage from a 1929, 324 ft. steamship.

In England, there is a castle (of course there is!) called St. Michael’s Mount that has been there since 495. But for much of the year it is inaccesssable, EXCEPT for at LOW TIDE when a pathway is revealed briefly, until the tide covers it again.

This last one is my favorite!

In South Korea, about 5 hours from the capital of Seoul, 1.8 miles off of the coast is an island called Jindo Island. For 1 hour, 2 to 3 times a year, low tide reveals a 1.8 mile path from Jindo Island to Modo Island.

Even though I haven’t told stories about animals here, I am going to allow my inner Aesop to come out.

High tides cover things. Low tides reveal things

Let’s start with the high tides of life. When our lives are full, to the max, sufficient – we tend to cover over or cover up what’s hidden below; the small things, lost things, broken things. Things like old habits and patterns. They can’t be seen and are therefore often ignored and not addressed.

How about the low tides of life. Times of want, lack, or emptiness tend to expose what’s underneath, and inside of us. Low tides are low times and are very revealing. They expose our foundation and reveal the bottom line of our life.

However, let’s take this point too. Hidden below those low tides could be brand new discoveries. Brand new ways, roads or paths even. Things we never knew were there. Ways we never thought of before.

And remember St. Michael Mount and Jindo Island – the new ways, paths will only be revealed for a brief period before they are covered over again. Low tides are temporary, but can be very revealing.

Sometimes it takes low tides in our life to reveal something better and expose hazards.

Cheers to you.