I was reminded of something
important this morning:
Getting through difficult
times can be less trying if you can find a way to let go and ACCEPT.
I know, trust me I know, that is much easier to sit here
and type than it is to DO when confronted by difficult situations in real life. And yes, before you call it out, let me be
the first to say that I know this example I am about to share is NOT (in the
grand scheme of life and all of the horribleness humans must endure) a “difficult situation”. But it was being in this situation that
brought me a bit of clarity, which is why I want to express it here.
We are on vacation in
Florida. We rented a condo on the
beach. Today’s forecast was something like
80% chance of rain. So yeah, it was not looking like a beach day for us.
But when we crawled out of
bed at 10:30 am – the rain seemed to have passed. The sand was wet from a storm, and the sky
was grey and cloudy – but it seemed like we were in the clear and could take a
beach walk.
We wandered quite a ways
down the empty beach. Very few
people. A few shells. Birds.
The sound of waves crashing. My idea
of peaceful.
Then I felt the first
raindrop. And a second. My partner confirmed he felt them, too. The rain was NOT done for the day, and we
were quite a ways down the beach from our exit.
As we hightailed it back toward the condo, we got wetter and
wetter. I found this funny and kept
bursting into giggle fits. I noticed
that instinctively I kept my head down, way
down, as if to protect myself from the storm.
It wasn’t until I stopped,
stood still, and put my face UP that I felt peace with the rain. Accepted it.
Let it wash over me.
Each drop felt distinct. My breathing slowed and my body relaxed. I accepted.
I hope that I can remember
that feeling when confronted by life. Few situations are as simple as a sudden rainstorm,
but if I can apply the same lesson of acceptance in the face of something
difficult, maybe I can journey through tough times with more grace, my face
held higher, and my breathing slower.
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