The Blessing: Photograph by Will Tenney

The Blessing

Gearhart, Oregon lies at the edge of a broad flat sand beach a few miles south of Astoria. On a blustery day we watched as a Pacific storm churned up the sea while pockets of sunlight in the clouds scuttled across the sky causing “God-beams” to sweep past, just off shore. The reflections on the flat sand, the dynamic sky, and patterns in the Pacific waves helped give me one of those “in the moment” experiences. Just as a strong set of “God-beams” flared, an unidentified couple strolled along the beach, receiving their blessing for the day.