My extended family and I recently spent a magical week in Jamaica, a surprising place to be thinking about second chances. I have to admit, everything about the trip exceeded my expectations: the ocean (the water really is turquoise), the weather (in the 70s and 80s every day with an occasional afternoon rain shower), the food, and especially the friendly, optimistic people.

We spent hours on the beach, mostly sitting in the shade. One of the activities that fascinated me was the kids' attempts at building sand castles. No sooner had they constructed a mighty structure, than a series of waves trimmed it down to nothing more than a melted fortress. Undeterred, they started over time after time, maybe moving up the shore a bit, dead set on their second or third chance to be triumphant.

That's when I realized, the ocean gives us a gift--another chance for success! Metaphorically, it mirrors our resilience and rebirth, like those children and their sand castles.

Here are some of my musings about the ocean and second chances:

• I love walking along the beach. Every wave gives me another opportunity to find that shell or tiny creature that washed away. Every sunset promises a new beginning. 
• For my characters in The Bluffs between Us, the ocean is a backdrop for both romance and renewal. The idyllic coast of Pellicano Bluffs is where my protagonist, Barb, turns when she feels all is lost and is looking for a re-set. In real life, the act of water washing over the sand represents a cleansing of sorrow, pain, and tears.
• Barb is continually awestruck by the beauty and vastness of the mighty Pacific. The humbling scale of the ocean helps put her own problems into perspective, providing hope and a new outlook--a second chance at whatever is ailing her at that moment.
• While Barb and Mike visit a small coastal village north of their home, they collect numerous treasures, including a rare, intact sand dollar. These shells, once living organisms, now have another chance at life by becoming part of somebody's treasured collection.
• The ocean can be fierce one moment and tranquil the next. Have you ever tuned in to a weather broadcast the day of, and then day after a major hurricane? You know what I'm talking about. The calmness provides an opportunity for the coastal communities to re-set. Our own emotions can ride the same cycle: one moment we might be full of anxiety; the next we can feel tranquil.
• Not only does the ocean mirror our emotions, it is the perfect backdrop for improving one's mood. The rhythmic sound of the waves, the negative ions released with its moving water, and the grounding effect of walking in sand all reduce stress. This restorative effect on the mind makes it the ideal spot for second loves to blossom!

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