There's a beach towel tucked against the door to keep the puddles at bay.
Who could complain? It's cool, but not freezing. The strong wind assures me that there will be glimpses of sunshine and watching the violence of the white caps bursting on the ocean surface causes me to reflect on how little control we have over our lives.
I love living where I can see the ocean every day. I love the difference in color from one day to the next and seeing her moods change with every passing storm.
One could say I've always had a 'problem' giving water the respect it deserves.
I crave it, I long for it, and if I see an area large enough to envelope
a human body, I ache to be in it. Because of that,
I've had a few brushes with near-drowning.
Some of us are slow learners.
The husband chuckles when I watch waves SMASH
against the jagged lava rock and still exclaim,
"I want to be in it!".
This is the result from a very angry sea recently hitting a local swimming area:
But I still love the ocean.
When our lives are hit with powerful waves, are we as eager to greet them? Do our eyes sparkle with excitement as it approaches or do we curl up in a little ball and pray to be rolled along the sandy bottom until the wave passes and we can surface for breath again?
Sometimes, we're only the observer and are forced to watch helplessly while someone we love is dragged under.
The oldest son is again bracing for the storm.
Military job security is no longer a given. An enlistment contract means nothing these days. He is fighting to keep an overseas assignment that was unjustly removed, so he will also face the repercussions that come from challenging one's chain of command (the legal office is in his corner, so he is right to challenge this, but if someone wants you kicked out of the AF, it's not that hard to make it happen).
As I watch the trials Son #1 continues to face, I have to remember that like the stone being rolled and dragged in the ocean current, constantly being polished, smoothed and rounded, that these trials are helping to shape him into the person he is meant to be. His dad and I can only stand back and hope this wave isn't a devastating force to his foundation.
It's so hard.
The winds are howling outside and whatever this latest storm will bring, we will have to accept.
Are you or is someone you love having any 'polishing' storms these days?
“I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.” -Tony Robbins
I've
come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually
laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new
level of living I now enjoy.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonyrobbin126257.html#RSYjU20L101zY6Jp.99
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonyrobbin126257.html#RSYjU20L101zY6Jp.99
I've
come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually
laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new
level of living I now enjoy.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonyrobbin126257.html#RSYjU20L101zY6Jp.99
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonyrobbin126257.html#RSYjU20L101zY6Jp.99
Good point, well written.
ReplyDeleteYikes, those pictures are scary. This a well-written post, J. It's so hard to stand back and watch our kids struggle through things. Prayers here for your son that things will work out for the best for him.
ReplyDeleteI am that way by the Mountains...I don't know if its the Scottish blood that calls to undulating hills and craggy outrocks but I know that I never feel truly at home unless I am high above sea level. Maggie Valley North Carolina or Cherokee or the mountains of Scotland...its where I long to be...I know how you feel...prayers for son's Military dilemma,
ReplyDeletehugs
Sandi
Jeri, you and I are so similar. I swear we could be related. Wait. Scratch that. My brothers and sisters and I are not similar at all.
ReplyDeleteAnyway...
I'm obsessed with water too. Obsessed. I love my Lake Michigan because it is so oceanlike. The change of colors, the huge waves, the vastness. I love it all.
Holy cow! to the pictures. That is some crazy damage. And you are right. It is disconcerting to realize how little control we have.
I'm so sorry your son is going through this trial. And it must be agony just having to sit back and watch. I don't know how good I'm going to be at that as my kids get older, but I suppose I'll learn.
But, you know, these trials are the things that helps us grow up, grow stronger, and learn important lessons. And he has had great teachers in you and your husband. Praying for peace for you and a good result for him.
sending positive vibes to you. the other military blog that i read (she is now a private blog) also had difficult times, unfortunately. i think son #1 will be ok, but understandably he has a rough time ahead.
ReplyDeletebeing tiny myself, i don't like big waves (much as in life) but the ocean always seems so renewing to me... love the symbolism in this post, love your blogs as always xx - jill
I've been having a polishing year. But you know that. Thankful that good things are on the horizon for my family. I'm sure it's hard to watch your son and not be able to step in and do anything, other than offer support and prayers. I really hope it all works out.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to be able to see the ocean every day. Do you ever feel isolated? I've wondered about being on an island and if I would feel trapped.