An Ocean Sunrise, Through The Eyes Of The World

Right outside this lazy summer home
You ain't got time to call your soul a critic no
Right outside the lazy gate of winter's summer home
Wondering where the nut-thatch winters
Wings a mile long just carried the bird away

This past week marked the return to the beach for our extended family, three generations together again for seven all-too-quick days. Equipped with nothing but the gift of time to enjoy one another’s company and the space to lose ourselves in the sights, sounds and soul of the summer. This time around, the group was deep, fourteen strong, with some mid-week comings and goings. The scene was fluid and the world served as our proverbial oyster. As the family matriarch, my mother-in-law, Peggy, was surrounded by her children and six grandchildren. As a member of the sandwich generation, it was my privilege to share carefree time with our kids as well as our nieces and nephew, the experience having evolved so significantly over the past few years. The scene was familiar, but for one key missing ingredient, my father-in-law, our beloved J.B. You see, it was the first time the extended group had vacationed together since his passing in 2019 and while his physical presence was missed, his spirit was present and strong amongst us.

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world
The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own
Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings
But the heart has it's seasons, it's evenings and songs of it's own

Like many, I love waking early at the beach. The first gleam of light, the anticipation of the day and all her promise. The joy of surfcasting for dinner in the dawn’s early light, while clenching the day’s first cup of coffee. Through my eyes, it’s a moment to embrace the joy of life. Yet, to be accompanied by six loved ones enjoying our mutual experience in their own unique ways made the ocean sunrise so much more. We sat quietly, we laughed, heckled and cursed the wind. We baited hooks, collected shells, snoozed and drank more coffee. Everyone, present together and yet occasionally left alone with our own thoughts and senses, taking it all in, in a beautiful woven way. A common, yet uniquely individualized experience, that is life.

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own
And sometimes we visit your country and live in your home
Sometimes we ride on your horses, sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own

Eyes of the World has, in my humble opinion, always been the ultimate summer song. The soaring guitar and airy sax riffs bring me right to hot weather, sunshine and water (whether it is the ocean, lake or pool). But I especially love the lyrics, as Jerry sings about the life cycle and, specifically, perspective. Everyone’s eyes of the world are unique and subjective - we all see the world in our own way. Ironically, I saw this in full display last week at the shore. I was on an early evening stroll to the ocean with my wife, brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Suddenly a cardinal, probably the only cardinal we have ever seen at the beach, zipped past and landed right near us. For others that may have witnessed him, it was just a bird. For us, it was J.B. saying hello and that he was happy we were finally all together on Long Beach Island like old times.

There comes a redeemer, and he slowly too fades away
And there follows his wagon behind him that's loaded with clay
And the seeds that were silent all burst into bloom, and decay
And night comes so quiet, it's close on the heels of the day

As an advisor, it is my responsibility to truly understand my clients’ unique perspectives, serve as a guide for their plans and to help them plant appropriate seeds for harvest as their lives evolve. Working with a multi-disciplined, experienced team is also key to our approach as we each have our own perspectives and abilities to bring to the table. Perspectives that are derived from our own life experiences and those of other clients that lend color and context to the numbers and sophisticated strategies that we recommend and implement for our clients. Each of us has goals we’d like to accomplish over the next year, the next decade, and twenty years from now. At Armstrong Advisors, we want to understand the perspectives that shape these goals and use our own to help our clients achieve them. Do you have your short, intermediate and long-term goals and cash flows truly defined and committed to paper? Are your estate documents up to date and in an encrypted vault? Does your spouse have a designated singular financial source to go to should the need arise? If not, I would ask that you consider speaking with our team, so that we might assist you in looking at your unique world in a comprehensive, collaborative way.

Authored by: Rob Armstrong

Listen Here: Eyes of the World (Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York 3/29/90)

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Jerome J. Garcia / Robert C. Hunter

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