Selections from the Summer, Sand, and Sea Series

"A Prayer", Photo by Shannon Finney, April 2007, Outer Banks, North Carolina

When I'm at the beach, my favorite time of day is early

morning, before the brightly colored umbrellas begin

to dot the sand scape, before the first sandcastles of the

day have been constructed, and before the screams and

giggles of the children at play on a day at the beach. In

the morning, the only sounds are waves and gulls. On

the morning that I snapped this photo, I had noticed this

lone surfer striding down the beach, board in tow, each

step more deliberate than the next. And then he stopped,

and stood looking out. I don't know if he was praying or

meditating or just simply looking out, enjoying the view.

But for that moment, the beach was transformed into

sacred space.