I think if I had to pick my favorite place to go to in order to relax or enjoy the beauty of creation, it would have to be the beach; and more specifically, one very, very far away from the freezing cold we have experienced this past week.

I love the feeling of my toes in the sand and the warmth that emanates from the bottom up as well as from the sky down.I also love the smell and the sounds of the sea itself.Since I was a little girl, I always have enjoyed swimming in the ocean, despite the music from the movie "Jaws" looping in my mind.To this day, I still find myself looking for shiny fins gliding along the surface, or large, dark shadows lurking beneath it.Although I would very much like to pretend that no danger exists, the truth is, it is that which lies beneath and we cannot see which is most perilous.Around 15 years ago, we took a family vacation to the Jersey shore.We spent our days basking in the sun, building sand castles and cooling ourselves in the salty sea.On one of those days, I decided to take a little nap under my little umbrella while my oldest daughter and my husband decided to body surf for a while.After some time, I was awakened by the sound of the lifeguards blowing their whistles.At first I didn't even open my eyes to see what was going on, assuming it was someone who had ventured out a little too far and needed to swim back in, or some teenagers engaging in horseplay.When the whistles became a little more insistent, I opened my eyes to see what and who had disturbed my peaceful slumber.I saw two lifeguards frantically pointing and waving their arms and as I looked out into the water, I noticed it was my husband and daughter with whom they were trying to communicate.They were very far from shore and I noticed my daughter was not only struggling (unsuccessfully) and trying to swim to shore, but who was quickly tiring and struggling just to stay afloat.My husband, who was several yards away from her and resting with his head down on his boogie board, was unaware of the danger that they were both in.They were caught in a nasty undercurrent that was pulling them out to sea.The lifeguards grabbed their red rescue cans and rushed out into the rough waves to bring them safely ashore.My daughter was visibly panicked and exhausted while my husband was visibly annoyed at all of the attention the incident had drawn.I was relieved that my family had been rescued from a situation that could have turned deadly.Undercurrents aren't only at the beach.They also exist in our schools, our jobs and even in our homes.In addition to being a current of water that flows beneath the surface, Merriam-Webster also defines an undercurrent as "a hidden feeling or tendency that is usually different from the one that is easy to see or understand," and these undercurrents can be equally as dangerous.These types of undercurrents manifest themselves in the way we talk to and about one another.They exist in the way we behave in public versus the way we behave at home, where not as many people can see.The worst thing about undercurrents is that they aren't always easy to spot.As a young woman, I worked for an insurance agent who conducted business in his home.He occasionally made jokes and comments that were somewhat sexual in nature and I simply brushed it off as him being "a guy."I was oblivious to the dangerous undercurrent that was forming until the day he forced himself on me, and I had to fight my way out of his grasp and out of his home.In hindsight, I realize that I should have made my way out of those unsafe waters after the very first incident.To this day I struggle with trust issues when finding myself alone with a member of the opposite sex.Undercurrents also exist in our relationships when we pretend that everything is fine on the surface, while a menacing, dark shadow, such as anger, hurt or resentment lurks beneath it.I notice that this happens often in social and familial situations where people make disparaging or derogatory comments disguised as "jokes" to avoid blatantly attacking another person, but with full knowledge that the person knows exactly what is being implied; even if others involved in the conversation do not and simply laugh the whole thing off.Just as undercurrents can erode and destroy the shorelines of the most beautiful beaches in the world, undercurrents can erode and destroy our families and relationships.We need to work hard to protect our relationships from such destruction and work equally as hard to restore those that have already been damaged.A solid foundation is an excellent start but is something that must be constantly monitored.We need to look for and heed any warning signs lest we get pulled out into treacherous waters and must be willing to grab our red cans to rescue those we care about should the need arise.Where are the undercurrents in your life?