the man & the mermaid (and how I got my name)
Once upon a time, there was a young man who lived near the sea.
He was a bit of a loner, and didn’t fit well in the community.
He had friends, oh yes, but he had a longing deep within him.
He didn’t even know what he longed for, but it had to do with the sea.
So much he knew.
He kept on coming back to the beach, staring over the waves…
Once upon a time, there was a mermaid.
Although she loved her family and life, deep hidden on the seabed,
she was somehow drawn to the water surface.
Was it out of curiosity?
She didn’t know what caused the feeling, but she kept coming back
to the surface to peek at the beach that laid in the distance.
In the Springtime, she saw people who walked their dogs.
Summer came, and children built sandcastles on the beach.
The wind played with the sand during Autumn storms and
in the winter, she stared at the dunes wondering what would lay behind it.
… and one day, she saw him.
The young man stood at the empty beach, and stared at the waves.
Her heart pounded when their eyes met, but before he realised what he saw
she dove under. . . so the young man, a sober guy, told himself he’d seen a fish.
That night he saw her eyes again in a dream and when he woke up,
he was convinced that he really had looked at a mermaid the other day.
The mermaid thought of the young man all day
and all night.
She couldn’t sleep.
She stayed below the surface for a month, two months, three months.
She still couldn’t sleep and when she did (only for a minute or so)
she dreamt of him.
She couldn’t eat and she wasn’t the happy mermaid she was before.
Her friends worried.
Her parents worried.
After four months, she told the whole story to her mum.
Her mum laughed but at the same time looked sad.
‘Dear daughter… I know what this is.
We thought you were ill, but it’s much worse.
You are deeply in love, this cannot be cured.
There ain’t no cure for love, you know.
Right that minute the mermaid knew what she had to do.
She kissed her parents goodbye, she waved at her friends and left.
She swam all the way to the surface and ventured to the beach.
It was an early Autumn morning and the beach was empty.
She combed the tangle out of her hair and waited….
| Meermin op het strand
kamt haar haren, wacht op hem haar grote liefde |
Mermaid on the beach
combs her hair and waits for him everlasting love |
She saw him coming over the dunes.
All that time, every day, he had come to the beach
looking for his mermaid.
And there she was.
He hold her in his arms and carried her home.
Gently, he laid her in the bathtub but her tail was already
started to shrink on the moment he’d kissed her.
The process took a few days and it was painful
but after that, the tail was transformed into a beautiful pair of legs.
He taught her to walk, and they walked along the beach together.
Only a year later, a little girl was born.
The girl had legs…
The mermaid and the man were over the moon happy.
‘I’m glad she doesn’t have a tail’ the man said ‘but when she grows up,
I want her to remember that her mum once was a mermaid.
I don’t want her to abnegate her origin when she gets older.
How can we do that?’
‘Let’s call her Marit’ the mermaid said.
‘It means ‘daughter of the sea’ and she will carry that name all her life.
That way she will never forget.’
The girl grew up to love the sea…
And she got a baby brother…
… he had no tail either.
He looked real human and so he was named after his dad,
to keep things in balance.
The man and the mermaid kept on loving each other…
… and they loved their children.
They were one happy family.
And the girl?
The girl never forgot where she came from.
How could she with a name like that.
‘Daughter of the sea’
Marit
And they all lived happily ever after.
This was the story about how I got my name.
The haiku is written for ‘Haiku my heart‘.
Click the link to visit the other participants and read more haiku’s.
Have a great weekend dear ones, and see you on Sunday.
(Yes, I’ll be back Sunday!)
* Don’t forget about the giveaway in my former post.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday!
what a beautiful story!
you should collage Marit the Mermaid.
That is a lovely wonderful story and the perfect tale of why you love the sea/ocean..!it is in your blood and soul…me too..but my story is a wee bit different….Hahahah..another time for that..Have a good day and enjoy the download..cant wait to see what you’ve created..!
ohhh… what a beautiful post. i’m fascinated. thank you for sharing, Marit!
What a magical story, Marit! Now, I’m going to go read it again!
Wow, dat is nog eens wat anders dan ik altijd te horen krijg..Ik ‘ben er eentje van de melkboer..’ 😉 Leuk!
What a beautiful story xxx
You have no idea how thios beautiful story has touched my heart. I guess it should, since I stopped here for Haiku My Heart. There are so many things I need to say! About mermaids, being a reincarnated pirate, a tattoo and the Selkies. Do you know about the Selkies?
I love this. Honestly, I was looking forward to comning here today and now I see why.
Peace
Enchanting. It is a lovely post and the haiku is lovely too! Have a grand weekend! Cathy
Oh, Marit. What a wonderful, beautiful tribute to your family. So nice to know you, lady of the sea!
this beautiful story made my day…thank you for sharing <3
Such a beautiful story, just like you name!
That is the SWEETEST story! I loveeeeeeeeeeeeee it!!!! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Your story and haiku made me smile… so full of the magic of love.
What a wonderful story
I wish my mum was a mermaid!
what a perfect story. i love it. great family photos too.
have a fantastic weekend..
=)
So, so beautiful! Love all the photos to “illustrate” it as well 🙂
I love this story. And the sweet pictures from the past that show the love of the mermaid and her man, and their growing family.
I hope you have a sweet weekend, Lovely Sea-Goddess !;)
dear daughter of the sea,
i believe in miracles and love every word of yours!
thank you for embracing haiku my heart so completely.
you have a home here….in our haiku sea.
AAwww! What a lovely story! Having a mother like yours, who can spin a story like no other, made your childhood so fun! And the name does suit you!! I believe you are a mermaid!!
xxDaniella
Hoe prachtig Marit!!
What a wonderful story and haiku. So clever how you tied it all together.
Salty sea wind
I’ll always greet her
coming outside………
De zilte zeewind
ik zal haar altijd groeten
als ik buiten kom………..
Your mermaid mom
Lovely story and haiku.
What a beautiful name Marit.
Marit, this is so lovely! And I see the truth in it… The rhythms of the sea are a part of you and a deep connection between you and your family. Ahhh, wading in the sparkling, light-reflecting tide! Je t’embrasse aussi, Margaret
that was absolutely beautiful. the story, the photos, your name (!), everything. thank you for sharing! i know a meara, a mara, and a maren. now i know a marit! all from the sea…
from our chilly choppy bay to your warm one, happy weekend!
What a beautiful story and photos and great haiku in the middle. I’m not familiar with your name but just watched this Marit Larsen video at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2eCiRVYTUY
*zucht*
Wat een geweldige post!! En wat kun je toch prachtige een verhaal vertellen!!
Ben weer erg onder de indruk van je schrijverstalent!!
(ook van je haiku!)
Ha, ha, mooi! 🙂
Ahhh! What a cool, sweet story for a ‘hot and sour’ urban sort of day here in Oakland. Thank you, Marit, you waterbaby, you! 🙂
I so enjoyed your naming story!
a special and beautiful story about a most special daughter of the sea dear sissie!
Love it and Love you!
oxo
LOVE that story!!!
Also, I learned something new today and I’m all about me some learning!! 😉
oh Marit,
what a beautiful tale…
What a beguiling story. I have a great niece whose name is Marit. Her mother said the name meant Pearl, which certainly could be a “daughter of the sea.” Lovely.
Aiyana
A beautiful story.
What a beautiful and touching story. I can see how it fits you so well.
Hello Marit,
Daughter of the Sea, I can sea why Spadoman directed you to my Selkie post. This is such a beautiful story of your birth and childhood. I think that it is wonderful to have a story of like this surrounding one’s nativity. It makes it all the more special and one can pass it down from one generation to the next. I love your family photos. Your mom is so lovely and so are you. I like to think of mermaids as people who live just a little closer to the dream world and the subconscious as water usually represents that in mos literature and psychology. Perhaps that is why you are such a wonderful artist.
xoxo,
Noelle
bie valkenisse
staet een ouwe visserman
kiekt ni de verte
PRACHTIG!!
Echt prachtig!!!
XXXJenneke
Marit, this is beautiful! I loved reading it, and the photos are wonderful! XOXO
absolutely wonderful story!