On a gray winter morning at North Hempstead Beach Park, something ancient unfolded against the quiet Long Island shore.
Each year, the Orthodox Church gathers to bless the waters, to celebrate the Feast of Theophany (the Epiphany) and remember Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River. This year, Archangel Michael Church in Port Washington hosted the Blessing of the Waters, and the shoreline filled with families and clergy to cheer on the teens who were ready to jump into the waters at North Hempstead Beach Park.
The air filled with prayers as teenage boys stood barefoot at the edge of the sea.
When the cross was thrown into the water, the stillness broke.
High school boys ran forward without hesitation, plunging into the frigid January waves with courage, reverence, and a willingness to leap. My son was among them, tall, faith-filled, always ready for adventure. Us parents watched our sons partake in a ritual that has survived centuries. It reminds us that life is bigger than our schedules, our anxieties, our small daily worries. That meaning is often found not in comfort, but in participation with community and tradition and eternity.
The sea was blessed that morning, and so were the boys who jumped in. After they came out, we surrounded them to congratulate the winner and participants, helped them warm up, and headed home with high adrenaline and wonderful memories.
