Childhood Summers in the Waves
When I was a child, we spent two weeks at the ocean every summer. Those days were filled with endless hours body surfing and jumping waves.
That was my first experience of being thrilled with fear. Every time a huge wave rolled toward me, I strategized whether I should try to ride over it, duck into it, or ride it to shore. The ocean always demanded a choice. Just like life.
The Wave That Took Me Under
My biggest, scariest wave appeared one afternoon. I felt sure I could make it over before it crested. But that wave had other ideas. It scooped me up, spun me like a rag doll, and pulled me down into a frothy, tumbling world where I could not tell up from down.
I was thrown ashore landing between the legs of a plump woman standing at the water’s edge. She screamed picking my head up by my hair. I screamed right back as she dropped me into the receding ocean. I stumbled ashore, caught my breath and bearings, and headed back for my next wave.
What the Ocean Was Trying to Teach Me
The ocean taught me something that day. It taught me that life will always roll toward us with challenges that do not ask our permission. Some will thrill us. Some will scare us. Some will shake us so deeply that we don’t have a clue which way is up. But each one gives us a choice about how to respond.
Do we freeze? Do we fight? Do we surrender? Or do we find the courage to rise, breathe, and meet the next wave with a little more wisdom than we had before.
Fear and Delight Are Often Companions
The ocean taught me that fear and delight often arrive hand in hand. And both are valuable experiences that help us learn how to better understand and meet what comes forward in our lives.
Resilience Grows Each Time We Stand Up
It taught me that resilience grows every time we stand up again. And sometimes the most courageous thing we can do is simply walk back into the surf knowing how vulnerable we are.
If You Are Facing Your Own Waves
If you are navigating challenges of your own and want support, I would love to help. Together we can explore what is stirring or feels out of sync, untangle old patterns, and help you create a life that fits you from the inside out.
I invite you to schedule a free thirty-minute conversation with me.