Ebb and Flow

I'm back.  We had a wonderful trip, full of food, drink, culture, and history.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  Have I ever told you how much I love traveling?  Suffice to say, if I could find some sort of sponsor to give me money to travel as a job, I would.  I would even wear something with said sponsor's logo.  Tattoo on the forehead could even be negotiated.

In each of the cities and towns we visited, there was water.  Paris had the Seine, Normandy had the sea, London had the Thames, Scotland had the sea, Budapest had the Danube, and Venice had the canals.  Regardless of the city, or the size or location of the body water, people are always drawn to it.  People (myself included) want to sit by it, eat by it, walk by it, swim in it, and drink by it.  It's a magnet, really, that people find to be calming and nourishing.

I'm going to get a little metaphorical and symbolic right now.  Bear with me.  Water's ebb and flow reminds me of the push and pull we all go through, throughout our years.  Some years produce much bigger waves than others; some years the water's current pulls us to parts that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  Yet, we ride the waves and the currents and somehow end up back on shore, sometimes a little wet and weary, but most of the time changed for the better.

I think about how a year ago, I didn't even know there was a tumor growing inside me.  I was going about my life business as usual.  Then a month later, that tumor decided to rear its ugly head (literally) and our lives were thrown for a loop.  There were so many waves that we rode this year, some much bigger than others.  Yet each wave or current that tossed or pulled us, we were buoyed by our strength and the support of others and set back on shore.  I am happy to say most of the time we arrived safe, sound, and thankful.

I have a good friend who is going through a really rough time right now.  I was chatting with her last night and told her that things will get better.  They will.  My experience this past year tells me so.  Just keep riding that wave, keep swimming, and you will land right side up on shore, and changed for the better.