A Gift From the Sea is a Great Read During Easter Week on Sanibel

Back in 2005, in honor of the 50th anniversary of its publishing, a news-press.com reporter wrote a column about the book A GIFT FROM THE SEA written by Anne Morrow Lindberg.

Lindberg, mentioned in a previous blog post, was the wife of renowned aviator Charles Lindberg, and was a woman for all times in her own right.

Her book was described by the reporter as a series of meditations and essays where Lindberg muses about the various stages of a woman's life. In each stage the author compares it to a different sea shell. The work, considered both philosophical and poetic, was largely inspired by a brief sojourn on Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

To this day, women of diverse backgrounds and ages who read the book are touched and inspired by it.

Lindberg's words not only inspire, they guide the reader into how to experience the sea, and through analogy, how to experience life.

The following excerpt from A GIFT FROM THE SEA , often quoted, underlines the importance of experiencing the sea and its bounty in a leisurely fashion: " The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach waiting for a gift from the sea."

The lesson here is that if we wait, not seeking, not searching, but staying still and letting the good come to us, we will be rewarded.

The same can be said for the overall Sanibel experience.

Sanibel can be an active destination or a passive destination. If you choose to visit the Island during Easter week, April 11 to 18, you can do absolutely nothing or you can explore, bike, boat,fish and collect shells.

The holiday is also a time to take your kids on a real special hunt, an Easter Egg Hunt. The Spring Easter Egg Hunt has been held at the Historical Village and Museum grounds as well as other sites on the Island.

So sit back and let the Island come to you, or reach out to find the joy of Sanibel. Either way, you will have many gifts and many memories to treasure forever.