Riding the waves of life.

Life is like an ocean.

Sometimes calm and peaceful, but more often than not coming at us like waves crashing up against the sea wall – wild and unpredictable, a magical pool of wonder with a mind and mood of it’s own. If we are not careful, we can get pulled into the current, tirelessly fighting to catch our breath and find some way to swim safely back to shore.

Oh, how we fight the currents, exhausting ourselves by swimming against the tide when we should be surfing the waves – allowing ourselves to ebb and flow, rise and fall. When we get sucked under, finding the will and confidence to paddle to the top, mentally letting go while physically persevering.

Letting go – it’s something most of us aren’t good at, even if we think we are. Call it delusional, or denial. Call it what you will, but we all fight the currents, swim against the tide, and find ourselves drowning in this thing called life.

We want balance. We want happiness. We want consistency. We want – well, maybe we don’t always know what we want. Maybe, we have a mind and mood of our own – just like the ocean.

What is the moral of this post, you may ask?

Keep swimming. Know when to front crawl, know when to float. Know when to dive in, know when to do laps. The key to success is in continuity – in not giving up yet recognizing when to modify or adapt.

The sea speaks to the soul and if you listen carefully, it can speak to you, as well. There will be storms. There will be shipwrecks. There will be sailing on the bright and clear blue water.

Welcome it all. Your heart will go on.

It’s a Winter Wonderland

As the snow falls outside the window, I can’t help but be reminded that winter will soon be behind us. The clocks sprung ahead last Sunday morning while we slept, and the days have grown longer. Birds chirp as dawn breaks and the geese that fly overhead in the evening have clocked in an hour later than usual. Spring is in the air.

Winter is one of my favorite seasons, second only to autumn and some days bumps to the front of the line. Those days are days just like this, when the world seems to stop and most people are nestled inside of their warm homes, working, playing, reading, cooking, baking, or doing nothing at all.

For those in the New England area, even if you are not a lover of the cold or snow, I encourage you to take a few minutes today and marvel in its the majestic force that is Mother Nature. Watch the snowflakes fall, each one unique in its own way – just like us. Take in the beauty, if just for a moment, rather than anger at the burden of shoveling and inconvenience. There’ll be plenty of time for that.

Then close your eyes and let gratitude fill you. Gratitude that you are reading this from a warm place with a roof over your head. Gratitude that we live in a locale where the seasons change and offer us something new and exciting four times each year. Gratitude for simply waking up this morning.

And join me in thanking all of those who keep us safe, protect us, and serve our communities – those who brave any weather, work the nights and holidays, and who don’t have the luxury of taking snow days: DPW workers, police, fire, paramedics, EMTs, nurses, doctors, and more; as well as those who have no place to place to call home.