I was walking on the beach at Cadzand on a cold and foggy day. As I ploughed through the loose sand, I was absorbed in thought. There weren’t many people around. In fact, there was nobody there. No one to share my thoughts with, except for the ever rumbling sea.

Ever-shifting colour

I came to a halt, fascinated by the spectacle of ever-changing light and colour. Suddenly, I noticed something drifting towards me. A small boat, perhaps? Overtaken by curiosity, I stepped into the cold water. Even though the object was drifting closer and closer, it was still difficult to identify. I was now completely unaware of the cold, as I made my way deeper into the sea. I could better discern the object as I approached it.

Could it… Could it be?

Could it be a flower? Now I could see clearly that it was a flower. It was a beautiful flower, like a lotus. Would that be possible, at the beach of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen? Now I could pick it up. With my arms, I scooped the fragile flower out of the water. It seemed to collapse, but then it stiffened in my hands.

My treasure

This flower, still dripping with water, became my treasure, found on the beach on that cold, foggy day. As I looked at the sea, I understood immediately that I belonged at this location. Here I can work, and let myself be taken by the sea.