Suzanne Askham

Wellbeing notes: Of oceans and sea glitter

Our county is such a special one, of chalky downs, bluebell woods and stone circles… but one thing it entirely lacks is an ocean. There would have been one in previous eons, and we can still find the signs of it in the form of maritime fossils. To the north west of our village, for example, there is the Star Well, situated on private land, where a person can run their fingers in the silt that emerges from an ancient spring and, if they are lucky, find tiny, star-shaped fossils in the palm of their hand.

There are countless rivulets throughout our neighbourhood that may offer up their ancient treasures. Recently, my daughter found a fossilised shell that nature had planted with a pretty garden of moss and wild garlic. Such discoveries are brilliant at reminding us of the vastness of time. They can put the challenges we face today into perspective, reminding us that ‘this too shall pass’.

Another way to gain a healthy sense of perspective is to visit the present-day ocean or, at least, our nearest sea. The journey will take you, if you are lucky, to that place and that moment where you get to see the sun reflecting off the surface of the water in a sparkling avenue of light. There is something instantly calming about the sight. Every individual gleam is a reflection of the sun in miniature. Later, when we are home from the ocean, we can close our eyes, imagine it, and achieve the same wellness of mind.